Ahead of Khelo India Para Games, Delhi HC directs sports ministry to ensure gender parity in participation
The Delhi High Court order came on a petition challenging the Badminton Association of India’s decision to allocate fewer slots to female para-athletes citing the smaller pool of international athletes.
The Delhi High Court last week directed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to try to ensure gender parity in the participation of athletes in sporting events as well as broaden the pool of athletes and not restrict it to those who have participated in international events.
The direction by Justice Sachin Datta, in an order from March 12, came on a petition seeking the quashing of a February 13 notification issued by the Badminton Association of India, which stipulated the selection criteria for the purpose of participation in the Para-badminton events under the Khelo India Para Games 2025, to be held in New Delhi from March 20 to 22.
The petitioner, Rahul Kumar Verma, took objection to the notification primarily on two limbs. Verma highlighted that while male para-athletes have been provided with 16 slots per event, the participation of female para-athletes has been restricted to eight slots per event “arbitrarily”, submitting that this amounts to “discrimination against female athletes, and is contrary to the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011”. He added that the selection criteria “disproportionately favours established international players by allocating 75% of available slots based on Badminton World Federation (BWF) Ranking”. He contended that this approach “directly contradicts the Khelo India Scheme, which is intended to nurture and promote budding national-level athletes”.
The Delhi High Court last week directed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to try to ensure gender parity in the participation of athletes in sporting events as well as broaden the pool of athletes and not restrict it to those who have participated in international events.
The direction by Justice Sachin Datta, in an order from March 12, came on a petition seeking the quashing of a February 13 notification issued by the Badminton Association of India, which stipulated the selection criteria for the purpose of participation in the Para-badminton events under the Khelo India Para Games 2025, to be held in New Delhi from March 20 to 22.
The petitioner, Rahul Kumar Verma, took objection to the notification primarily on two limbs. Verma highlighted that while male para-athletes have been provided with 16 slots per event, the participation of female para-athletes has been restricted to eight slots per event “arbitrarily”, submitting that this amounts to “discrimination against female athletes, and is contrary to the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011”. He added that the selection criteria “disproportionately favours established international players by allocating 75% of available slots based on Badminton World Federation (BWF) Ranking”. He contended that this approach “directly contradicts the Khelo India Scheme, which is intended to nurture and promote budding national-level athletes”.
The Indian Express