New Delhi: The Delhi High Court sought the Centre’s stand on a petition by Manika Batra, who was left out of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Table Tennis Championships, assailing the Table Tennis Federation of India’s (TTFI) mandate of compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp to be selected.
She filed a petition on account of the omissions and commissions of the Respondent “The Table Tennis Federation of India” and issuing the Rules and Regulations for National Camps dated 04.08.2021 which she said are face, arbitrary, capricious and unsustainable.
“Despite the Petitioner having brought laurels to the country, as recently during the Tokyo Olympics, 2020, she has been left out of the contingent being sent for the 25th ITTF Asian Table Tennis Championships, 2021 to be held in Doha from 28.09.2021 to 04.10.2021,” the petitioner said. Therefore the petitioner Batra urged the Delhi High Court to grant an ad-interim ex-parte order staying the operation of the impugned rules and regulations dated August 4th.
During hearing on paddler Manika Batra’s plea, Addl. Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing Centre, told Delhi HC that “merit has to be sole criteria for selection of candidates” & attending/not attending a camp will not deter India from sending its best athletes forward.