Expect Centre to recognise National Sports Federation for Taekwondo: Delhi HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed fresh elections to the executive committee of the Taekwondo Federation of India and said that it is expected that the Centre will take expeditious steps to thereafter recognise a suitable federation as the National Sports Federation for the sport.

Justice Rekha Palli noted that presently there is no National Sports Federation for Taekwondo and opined that the sport is suffering and genuine Taekwondo players are not getting the opportunity to represent the country.

The judge, who was hearing a petition by two Taekwondo players, appointed a retired judge of the high court as the Court Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer for holding the elections to the executive committee of the Taekwondo Federation of India and ordered that the elections be held preferably within two months.

It is evident that the sport of Taekwondo in the country is suffering and the genuine Taekwondo players are not getting the opportunity to represent the country. It would, therefore, be in the interest of the sport to direct the holding of fresh elections to the executive committee of the Taekwondo Federation of India so as to enable the Union of India to take expeditious steps for recognizing a suitable federation as the National Sports Federation for the sport of Taekwondo, said the court in its order dated 28 April.

Once the elections of the Taekwondo Federation of India are held in accordance with this order, it is expected that respondent no.1 will take expeditious steps to recognise a suitable federation as the National Sports Federation for the sport of Taekwondo, it added.

The court also said that to safeguard the interests of the players, it would be necessary to pass orders to ensure the selection of players to represent the country in international Taekwondo events till such time and directed the Sports Authority of India to make timely selection by consulting one of the three renowned players mentioned in the order.

The court noted that there being no National Sports Federation for Taekwondo, Taekwondo India — an unregistered body that claims to be recognized by the World Taekwondo — has been mainly selecting players for the different international events.

While the petitioners claimed that Taekwondo India was wrongly trying to select players, the allegation was denied by the body.

The court ordered that the Court Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer will be paid Rs 5 lakh as honorarium besides secretarial expenses and the process would proceed based on an electoral college.

The court said that it expected that the World Taekwondo while inviting Indian Players/Teams for international events, will also take into account the directions issued in the order.

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