Delhi HC issues notice to BAI on plea challenging new trial criteria for Asian Para Games 2023

New Delhi [India]: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on a plea challenging the new criteria for trial for the Asian Para Games 2023 to be held in China in October.

A Paralympic Badminton gold medallist Alphia James has challenged the new criteria for inviting players for trials for selection.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the sports body, directing it to file a response.

The matter has been listed on August 8 for further hearing.

However, the court, meanwhile, refused to grant permission to the petitioner to participate in the trial.

“We will order a fresh trial if it is found wrong,” Justice Prasad said.

Alphia James has moved a petition through advocate Ashwin Kumar Nair.

She has challenged the minutes of the meeting held on June 23 and the notification issued on July 4, 2023.

She sought an order for quashing the “Minutes of Meeting held on June 23, 2023, with Representatives of PCI and BAI to take the decision on the criteria to invite players of selection trials to select team for the Asian Para Games 2023 to be held in Hangzhou China from October 20-28, 2023″.

She also sought an order of Quashing the Notification dated July 4, 2023, published by the BAI notifying the final selection trials for the Asian Para Games 2023 Greater Noida 24-25 July 2023.

The petitioner also sought a direction or order directing the BAI to allow the petitioner to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Para Games 2023 to be held in Greater Noida on July 24-25, 2023.

The petitioner has also sought a direction to allow her to participate in the selection trials for the Asian Para Games 2023 to be held in Greater Noida on 24-25 July 2023, during the pendency of the present writ petition.

It is stated that on June 21, 2023, the BAI published an Indian Para-Badminton Team Probable List of Asian Para Games 2023, wherein an altogether of 55 Para Athletes were finalized which included the present petitioner.

The petition stated that the BAI and PCI changed/introduced new criteria for selection to trial for the Asian Para Games 2023 on June 23, 2023, just two days after publishing the probable list.

This made it impossible for several athletes, particularly single wheelchair athletes, both men and women, to get selected even for trials.

It is also stated that on July 4, 2023, BAI, through a notification, published the alleged final selection list for trials for the Asian Para Games 2023 wherein the petitioner along with 12 others were arbitrarily left out on the basis of the newly introduced criteria.

For that, no wheelchair player (male or female) fulfilled the criteria set by the committee for singles in the selection criteria.

A typed copy of the true notification was dated July 4, 2023, the plea said.