CHENNAI: Indian judokas, especially those competing in the cadet category, continue to suffer as they may be forced to miss the World Championships scheduled in Sofia, Bulgaria from August 27 to 30. The athletes in this category missed three international tournaments last year and the upcoming World Championship will be their fourth and the biggest miss.
Notably, the Judo Federation of India (JFI) has been governed by an administrator appointed by the Delhi High Court since June 2022. The latest heartbreak in the series of misses for cadet judokas meant most of them would now be unable to compete in the next World Championships as they will turn 18 by the time the 2026 edition would be held.
It was learnt that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) didn't sanction the tour citing selection policy which makes it mandatory for every national sports federation to hold selection trials to pick a team for an international tournament. The JFI selected judokas, who won medals at the Taipei Cadets Asian Cup held last month for the Worlds, but the SAI didn't approve the list and in turn directed the federation to hold trials. Interestingly, the JFI held ranking trials for the Asian Cadets Championships scheduled in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 11 and 12 last week but chose the judokas for the Worlds on the basis of their performances at the Taipei event.
There were many judokas who won medals in Taipei and also the ranking trials and one among them is Rahi Ghelani. She won a gold medal each in the Tashkent Asian Cup held in May, Taipei Asian Cup and the ranking trials in the -44kg weight category and could be a medal contender at the World Championships if given an opportunity. Linthoi Chanambam created history in 2022 when she won a -57kg gold at the Cadet World Championships and became the first from the country to win a medal at the event across age groups. Next year, Oliviya Devi Huidrom clinched -44kg bronze at the event and Rahi could have continued the legacy in the 2025 edition.
Incidentally, Rahi is from Bhavnagar in Gujarat and the union sports minister also hails from the same district. Besides, these cadet judokas will graduate to senior level by the time India gets ready to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics if their respective bids come to fruition.
"I have worked hard for the Cadet Worlds," Rahi told this daily. She practises at Nadiad and is ready to bear the expenses if allowed. "This is the biggest competition in my age group. I am 17 and will be ineligible for the event next year. I am ready to bear the expenses for the trip but the SAI needs to help in procuring the visa as it is not easy to get the visa for a European country," added Rahi.
Another judoka Babnoor Singh (+90kg) also won medals at the Taipei event and Hong Kong Cadet Asian Cup 2025. In the first tournament, he won bronze and changed it to silver in the next meet. He also won the selection trials held in his weight category for the Asian Championships. "He was forced to miss three events last year and it continues this season as well," Jasvinder Brar, Babnoor's father, told this daily. Brar obviously was disappointed and like Rahi is ready to pay for his son's trip to Bulgaria.
JFI assistant secretary Rajan CS and administrator Justice Pankaj Naqvi (retired) could not be contacted for their comments. A source in the SAI, however, said they don't want the athletes to miss the tournaments but at the same time cannot allow the NSFs to flout the selection policy. "I understand a few deserving judokas may be forced to miss the Cadet Worlds but the JFI should have organised trials as we had told them in advance. We had a couple of meetings with their representatives as well but of no use. Every NSF has to abide by the selection policy," said the source.
With authorities concerned shifting the blame on each other, it's the judokas, who are bearing the brunt and missing important events with the Cadet Worlds latest in the list.