CHENNAI: The Delhi High Court has directed the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to consider adding Tejaswin Shankar's name to the 37-strong athletics contingent for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Shankar, the national record holder in high jump, had met the AFI's qualifying standard for the Games but hadn't taken part in last week's national inter-state athletics championships, an event that the AFI had made mandatory for athletes to take part in to be considered for the CWG.
The one exception to that rule was elite athletes could skip the meet as long as they got permission from the AFI and according to them, Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable and Seema Punia were exempted as they had sought permission.
Shankar, a student at Kansas State University, had met the qualifying standard with a jump of 2.27m enroute winning the NCAA Championships in June second week. However, the AFI disregarded that performance.
"Shankar did not want to be selected. Shankar did not ask to be exempted from the inter-state championships. He did not take permission from us before he competed in the USA,” Adille Sumariwalla, AFI boss, had said during a press conference after selecting the squad. According to livelaw.in, a website that tracks court cases in India, the single judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh said "his non-participation in the inter-state championship shall not be the sole criteria for rejecting his candidature".
According to sports lawyer Parth Goswami representing AFI, they have told the court that he is a good high jumper. "But AFI has a slot of 36 athletes for the CWG and around 40 athletes have attained the qualification mark. The selection committee comprising of Khel Ranta and Arjuna Awardees like GS Randhawa, Anju Bobby George, Bahadur Singh picked the best possible 36," he said. And since the court has directed them, his name would be considered.
The next date for the hearing is set for Friday. "The judge asked the AFI to consider Tejaswin's name today (Wednesday)," advocate Malak Bhatt, who is representing the 23-year-old in Court, told this daily. "There was a selection meeting today. The Court has asked the AFI to come back with their decision on Friday." The Court also observed that Shankar, who is part of the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme in the development group (the flagship government document that identifies India's elite Olympic athletes and prospects) was a 'medal prospect' at CWG.
Shankar, who is graduating this year, is joint third-best among all Commonwealth athletes. His 2.27m is only bettered by Django Lovett (Canada, 2.28m) and Hamish Kerr (New Zealand, 2.30m). This of course isn't the first time that AFI and Shankar have clashed with respect to non-selection despite meeting AFI's own criteria. Back in 2019, his name was not included even though he made the cut for the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha. Back then too, Sumariwalla, in a press conference, stated he has to compete in domestic events. Shankar didn't respond to this daily.