HC asks SAI, AISCD to respond to specially-abled tennis player's plea to include her in team for Deaflympics

The Delhi High Court has asked the Sports Authority of India and the All India Sports Council of the Deaf to respond to a plea by a woman tennis player challenging the decision of authorities to take only 2+2 men and women players for tennis teams for the Brazil Deaflympics in place of the minimum 4+4 players.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has asked the Sports Authority of India and the All India Sports Council of the Deaf to respond to a plea by a woman tennis player challenging the decision of authorities to take only 2+2 men and women players for tennis teams for the Brazil Deaflympics in place of the minimum 4+4 players. The petitioner sought to include her name in the list of participants selected for the lawn tennis teams (men and women) for the ensuing camp scheduled from March last week to enable her to participate in the Deaflympics to be held in Brazil from May 1 to 15.

"Although respondents nos.2 and 3 (SAI and AISCD) have been placed on advance notice, none has appeared today on their behalf when the matter was called. Counsel for the petitioner prays for and is granted time to serve those respondents again via electronic mode as well as via approved courier service and dasti also. Notices shall indicate that this writ petition shall be called again on March 23, Justice Yashwant Varma said in a March 15 order. Petitioner Kirti Lata said the selection trials were conducted on February 24 and 25 by the authorities in which she secured third place and was asked to give photographs and other documents.

Later, she was told that only two men and two women players out of the initial list prepared of minimum 4+4 players will be allowed to join the one-month long preparation camp for participation in the Deaflympics-2021, the petitioner, represented through advocates Sanjay Agarwal and Gurpreet Kaur, said. The petition sought to set aside the "arbitrary, illegal and malafide" circular of February 11 issued by the All India Sports Council of the Deaf (AISCD) with permission of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for the purpose by which the petitioner's chance to join the training camp and finally to participate in 24th Deaflympics rendered nullified by oral information by the coach at the JLN Stadium here.

It said the petitioner, being a specially-abled player, has been practicing since 2017 for international championships and if the petitioner is not taken for this Deaflympics, her career will be spoiled. The petition sought to quash the "arbitrary" decision of the authorities in active connivance with each other against the established norms and declare it null and void.

PTI