The Delhi High Court has recently requested the Centre and the Table Tennis Federation of India to respond to a petition calling for the appointment of an administrator to manage the daily operations of the sports body.
A bench led by Chief Justice Manmohan issued a notice to both the central government and TTFI regarding the public interest litigation, which also seeks to suspend the federation’s status as a national sports organization until it fully complies with the Sports Code.
During the hearing on October 28, the bench, which included Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted that representatives for both the Union of India and TTFI accepted the notice and requested four weeks to file their counter affidavits.
The petition was filed by Yatharth Pandya, a former national-level table tennis player and sports activist, who alleged that TTFI is operating in violation of the Sports Code. He argued that there is a systemic failure in the governance of TTFI and its affiliates, necessitating judicial intervention.
The petition highlighted issues such as persistent non-compliance with the Sports Code, opaque election processes, financial irregularities, and entrenched leadership, despite several court rulings and government directives.
Additionally, the PIL calls for TTFI to provide detailed financial data and forensic audits on its website to ensure transparency and compliance with the Sports Code. The petitioner is represented by advocates Sarojanand Jha and Tushar Kumar.
The case is scheduled for the next hearing on February 25, where the court will review the responses from the Centre and TTFI.
This move underscores the ongoing concerns regarding governance and accountability in sports federations in India, aiming to enhance transparency and compliance with established regulations.
