NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to take necessary steps to ensure that male and female athletes receive equal opportunities in sporting events conducted by the National Sports Federations (NSFs).
Justice Sachin Datta, in his ruling, emphasised the importance of an inclusive selection process that does not restrict participation to athletes with international exposure alone. Instead, he urged authorities to widen the selection pool by considering athletes who have excelled in domestic tournaments, local competitions, and major grassroots initiatives such as the Khelo India Games.
The court’s intervention came in response to a plea filed by Rahul Kumar Verma, who challenged a notification issued by the Badminton Association of India on February 13. The notification detailed the selection criteria for para-badminton events in the 2nd Khelo India Para Games, scheduled to take place in Delhi from March 20 to March 22, 2025.
The petitioner argued that the notification unfairly limited the number of female para-athletes, offering them only eight slots per event, while their male counterparts were allotted 16.
He contended that this disparity amounted to discrimination and violated the principles outlined in the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011. The court reaffirmed that ensuring gender balance in sports is a constitutional mandate and a key requirement under the National Sports Development Code.
It further acknowledged the significant contributions of female athletes to India’s sporting legacy, stating that any imbalance in representation is unacceptable.
“It is an undeniable fact that female athletes have brought immense pride to the nation. This court cannot accept a scenario where gender disparity affects the composition of sporting contingents,” the court observed.
The court also noted that restricting female participation without a valid justification was unjust. It suggested that additional slots for female para-athletes could be allocated by selecting from those who had competed in the National Para-badminton Championship, 2024, and the Khelo India Para Games, 2023. This, the court said, would also address concerns that excessive weightage was being given to international event participation while sidelining domestic talent.
In response, the Badminton Association of India informed the court that efforts would be made to accommodate more female athletes in the 2025 Khelo India Para Games by expanding selection criteria to include those who had performed well in national and Khelo India tournaments.
Taking this assurance into account, the court refrained from issuing a binding directive for the upcoming event but made it clear that long-term reforms are necessary.