NEW DELHI: With Indian kabaddi’s monopoly on international titles shattered by Iran both for the men (South Korea beat them as well) and women at the 2018 edition of the Asian games, more ignominy awaits the teams when they return home.
The matter relates to a judgment passed by the Delhi High Court on August 3 wherein it ruled that the selection process for the Indian kabaddi teams (men’s and women’s) for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta was as an “eyewash” and ordered the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) to conduct a fair selection process that is in accordance to the National Sports Code of India.
However, as the 2018 Asian Games was less than a fortnight away at the time the judgment was delivered, the court ruled that the players would have to compete in a trial game to prove their merit on their return home AFTER their respective campaigns at the Asian Games were done and dusted.
Without going into details, the gist of what is yet another unsavoury episode in Indian sport is that a writ petition was filed by former kabaddi players C Honnappa Gowda and S Rajrathanam, alleging that the selection of the Kabaddi teams for the Asian Games was predetermined. After reviewing the evidence presented, the High Court concurred with the petitioners and issued its judgment.
The corruption in the AKFI was laid bare when the High Court, in a related judgment delivered on the same day, removed AKFI president Mridul Bhadauria from office after declaring that no valid elections were held to place Bhadauria in the post. Her husband and president of the International Kabaddi Federation, Janardan Singh Gehlot, who had headed the national federation for 28 years before his wife took over, was removed as life president, as a person who has served more than three terms cannot be re-elected. Sanat Kaul, an IPS Officer was then appointed as administrator of the AKFI till further orders.
So far so good. But having concluded that rot has set in within the AKFI and it needs cleaning up, SportzPower for one is curious as to what purpose is served by this “trial selection” that will be held soon. If the teams that went to Jakarta were to win their matches, would that mean that there was no bias in selection? certainly not, and the High Court’s judgment also validates that premise. So why should players be made to feel further embarassed with this needless farce.
The core of the problem is one of governance. Nothing more, nothing less. For which it is the administrators of the game that have to provide answers. And those answers will not be forthcoming this way or that from some farcical trial selections. Rather, the court appointed administrator Sanat Kaul’s focus on should be in cleaning up the augean stables within the AKFI. Not in further demoralising players who in any case are already hurting from the criticism that is casually being directed at them all and sundry.
