National Games: Delhi high court reinstates Taekwondo officials
Delhi HC overturned GTCC's decision to replace TFI's DOC and officials for National Games, citing lack of evidence and violation of natural justice.
New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Thursday set aside Games and Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) decision to replace Director of Competition (DOC) T Praveen Kumar and the technical officials appointed by the Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI) for the 38th National Games of India, being conducted in Uttarakhand, saying that the same was taken without any rationale.
On January 31, GTCC of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), responsible to oversee the preparation and conduct of National Games in India, had issued an email to the IOA, through which it proposed for replacing 20 technical members and the DOC selected by TFI, based on multiple complaints regarding the federation propagating unethical practices. In its email, the GTCC had proposed replacing the DOC with a suitable candidate with its consultation and 50% nominated technical officials with duly qualified officials.
Taking note of the fact that the decision was taken on the basis complaints received by the GTCC on January 28 and January 31, a bench of justice Sachin Datta opined that the same only contained bare allegations and were bereft of cogent material.
“Neither of these complaints are accompanied by any cogent material and contain bare allegations. It is notable that the complaint dated 31.01.2025 refers to certain allegation/s for the period spanning as far back as 2012. Furthermore, no rationale is disclosed for replacing the DOC who is not one of the technical officials, and has no role to play in adjudging fixtures,” the court said.
Additionally, justice Datta in his five-page order opined that the GTCC had taken the decision due to its reluctance to recognise TFI as National Sports Federation (NSF) for taekwondo, contrary to high court’s orders recognising the federation as NSF.
To be sure, on December 24, the high court had stayed IOA’s December 20 decision to conduct trials for selecting athletes for Taekwondo for the games till March 28, while accepting the federation’s submission it had the right to select participants being the recognised NSF for Taekwondo in India. On January 13, the high court while refusing to vacate its December order had recognised TFIs right as NSF and directed the TFI to conduct fresh selection trials within a period of one week to select two players in each weight category for male and female category.
“It is evident that order dated 31.01.2025 is motivated because of the respondent nos.1 and 2 do not recognize the petitioner as the concerned NSF. This is contrary to the very premise of the order/s dated 24.12.2024 and 13.01.2025,” the court maintained.
In its application argued by advocate Saurabh Jain, the TFI had asserted that the decision was taken without any prior notice or affording an opportunity of being heard, merely based on an arbitrary report presented by the Prevention of Manipulation of Competition Committee. “the impugned action on the part of the Respondents is in complete violation of the principles of natural justice and without following the due process, as no report, allegation, or evidence was ever presented to or communicated to Petitioner/ TFI before the issuance of the impugned decision by Respondent No. 2. (GTCC),” the application added. The application was filed in TFIs petition challenging IOA’s December 20 decision made last year to conduct trials for selecting athletes for Taekwondo for the games.
The IOA and GTCC represented by advocate Vikas Singh submitted that the decision was made based on two complaints received on January 28 and January 31.
In its order, the court however allowed the coaches/support staff to remain in proximity of the players and granted the IOA and GTCC the liberty to act for disqualifying the players in case it found something amiss.