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U-19 player misses out on tournament after BAI error
Prathamesh Kulkarni's name was first included among the women's reserves and then not included in the men's category
A clerical error followed by ignorance on part of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has cost an under-19 player from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, an opportunity to participate in an international tournament and earn his first BWF rankings points. The player under the spotlight is 18-year-old Prathamesh Kulkarni whose name for the India Junior International Grand Prix (starting on August 30 in Pune)—due to the BAI error—was listed in the women’s entry list instead of men’s. When Kulkarni approached BAI to rectify the error, they did remove his name from the women’s section but didn’t include it in the men’s category.
Kulkarni, who is ranked 23 in the under-19 national rankings, was eyeing a wildcard berth after the error cost him a direct entry but when he didn’t get any response from BAI, he approached Bombay High Court’s Aurangabad bench. In a special hearing held on Monday, the bench directed the BAI to give Kulkarni a wildcard entry for the tournament in Pune.
A division bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Arun Pednekar in its order, which was made available on Tuesday, said Kulkrani cannot be faulted as he had submitted his application form online with correct details well before the deadline.
According to an Aurangabad Badminton Association official, who is close to the Kulkarni family, said: “He (Kulkarni) and Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) officials had informed BAI about the error in the last week of July to which they replied that “it has been rectified”. But when the list of participants for the tournament was released last week, his name still didn’t feature in the men’s section but in the women’s reserve list. It was again brought to BAI’s attention and they immediately withdrew his name from women’s section but failed to include it in the men’s category.”
He added: “The family approached the court so that he can get an opportunity to play in an international tournament so close to the home and as he comes from a middle-class family, it won’t be a financial burden on them as well.”
The HC order stated if Kulkarni misses the Pune tournament, then his entry shall be forwarded for participation for a tournament in Nagpur (India Maharashtra International Challenge, September 13 to 18).
“Due to the bungling of respondent No 2 (BAI), the petitioner's name is not in the list of qualified male players for the Pune event though he is not to be faulted. Repeated mistakes committed by the respondent No 2 led to the said error and now the application of the petitioner is being treated as withdrawn,” the court said.
