NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday said the practice of granting provisional recognition to National Sports Federations (NSFs) in the country without ascertaining whether they are following the Sports Code cannot be allowed to go on.
“We won’t allow the provisional system to go on without the NSFs following the Sports Code. That is not going to happen. Ask the NSFs to put their house in order,” PTI quotes the Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Najmi Waziri as having said.
The observation by the Bench came while hearing a plea moved by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) seeking permission to grant provisional annual recognition to 57 NSFs so that they can commence training of sportspersons for the Olympics next year.
The High Court on June 24 stayed the June 2 decision of the Union Sports Ministry to provisionally renew the annual recognition of the NSFs and had directed it to “maintain status quo ante”.
The Bench had said that the ministry cannot take the decision, even if it is provisional in nature, without first approaching the court and seeking its consent as per its February 7 order in the main petition.
On February 7, the Court had directed the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) and MYAS to inform the court in advance while seeking to take any decision in relation to the NSFs.
However, on June 24 the High Court was informed through an application of the ministry that it has proceeded to provisionally renew the annual recognition in respect of the NSFs for the year 2020, till September 30.
The High Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate Rahul Mehra in 2010 which had initially sought a probe into the functioning of various sports bodies, including Hockey India and Indian Olympic Association, PTI further reports.
