CHENNAI: A day after the sports ministry suspended the Table Tennis Federation of India, its president Meghna Ahlawat claimed that the federation has not violated norms that should attract sanctions. In a press statement, the TTFI president said that the sports ministry has not taken facts into consideration nor their explanation notice before suspending the federation.
According to the statement, this could be construed as a third party interference. "TTFI therefore respectfully seeks the Ministry's kind consideration of the implications that any external or interim administrative arrangement may have in this regard, including the principles of autonomy recognised under Rules 27 and 28 of the Olympic Charter," says the statement, adding that the Olympic Charter and the Statutes of the International Table Tennis Federation recognise and expressly protect the autonomy of National Sports Federations and require their governance and administration to remain free from any third-party interference.
The Indian Olympic Association has already started the process of forming a committee (three or five) in consultation with the international body. The federation has said that they had replied to the show cause notice issued by the sports ministry on June 30, 2026.
"The position in this regard was duly placed before the Ministry through TTFI's detailed reply dated 07.07.2026, supported by contemporaneous minutes, resolutions and audited records TTFI submits that each of the deficiencies cited in the impugned Order was either factually incorrect or had already been remedied well before the Show Cause Notice dated 30.06.2026 was issued, as was placed on record in the Federation's detailed reply dated 07.07.2026, supported by contemporaneous minutes, resolutions and audited records," said the TTFI statement.
It also says that TTFI remains in close and constructive engagement with the ministry and is fully committed to addressing any concerns that may be brought to its attention. The federation remains committed to working with the ministry in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding.
