Selection for international meets NSFs’ responsibility: Sports Authority of India

Express News Service

The court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) seems to be in the hot seat, especially over the selection of the 2022 Commonwealth Games men and women teams last week. Players have even approached the court over non-selection. Three players, who according to the selection criteria should have made it to the team, were dropped.

What seemed controversial will only get complicated with the letter issued by the Sports Authority of India on TTFI’s selection. In a letter dated June 6, 2022 to the CoA of the TTFI, the SAI has said that selection process is the matter of the National Sports Federations. This was in reply to a letter from the CoA dated May 31, “with respect to the selection of the Indian national table tennis team for the CWG, 2022 to SAI requesting concurrence on the attached selection committee minutes of the meeting.”

However, SAI replied, “It is hereby informed that as per letter no F.No…dated 18th January 2018 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, it has been stated that “selection of sportspersons for participation in major international events shall be the responsibility of NSF concerned, and government and Sports Authority of India will not have direct involvement in the selection process, except to ensure that it is fair and transparent.” 

This means that SAI will not interfere in NSFs’ selection for international meets. So what happens when NSFs are suspended by the ministry? Especially now when the Delhi High Court has said all NSFs not following sports code should be served notices of suspension? Like some sports administrators have pointed out, will the SAI get involved like they have done in sports, which are de-recognised or suspended by the ministry? As recently as last month, judo team was selected by SAI.

Even taekwondo. Not to mention the archery team when the federation was suspended for almost eight years.  This letter also shows either SAI thinks selection is “fair” or like an official pointed out SAI did not want to get into another mess or flip-flop. There have been occasions when SAI interfered in the pretext of not “fair and transparent” selections. Here the case could be different. 

Full story: newindianexpress.com