High Court Asks Centre To Conduct Inquiry Into Allegations Against Table Tennis Body By Manika Batra

The Delhi High Court Thursday stayed the Table Tennis Federation of India's mandate on compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp in order to be selected for any upcoming international event and asked the Centre to conduct an inquiry into Manika Batra's complaint against the sports body.

The Delhi High Court Thursday stayed the Table Tennis Federation of India's mandate on compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp in order to be selected for any upcoming international event and asked the Centre to conduct an inquiry into Manika Batra's complaint against the sports body. Justice Rekha Palli further said that if warranted, the Union Sports Ministry may look into the affairs of the TTFI as well. Justice Palli was hearing a plea by Batra who was left out of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Table Tennis Championships and has alleged that the national coach Soumyadeep Roy "pressurized" her to "throw away" an Olympic qualifier match in favour of one of his personal trainees.

The judge said the rule mandating compulsory attendance at the national camp has been enforced "at a point when there was a complaint pending against the national coach" and the same "does not inspire confidence".

The court also expressed "anguish" at the manner in which a committee, constituted by the federation to look into the allegations, was reconstituted after it sought centre's stand on the issue.

"They are overreaching the court. I will issue a notice of contempt. I pass an order and you appoint a new person. This is shocking... I am expressing my anguish," the judge stated.