Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja Take AITA to Court Over Alleged Sports Code Violations, Elections to Proceed as Scheduled

Add as a preferred source on Google

Former Indian tennis stars Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja have taken a bold legal step by filing a case against the All India Tennis Association (AITA) just days before the body's upcoming elections on September 28.

The two former players have accused AITA of repeatedly violating the Sports Code, and have escalated their concerns to the Delhi High Court.

Somdev, a former India No. 1 singles player, and Raja, an ex-doubles specialist, filed their petition on Monday, alleging that AITA has failed to comply with several crucial aspects of the Sports Code.

Despite their petition, the Delhi High Court has decided that AITA's elections, scheduled for September 28, 2024, will proceed as planned, although the results will remain sealed until further legal review.

According to the complaint, there is 'lack of any seats for athletes in the Central Council / General Assembly of AITA, lack of any mechanism for athletes to elect eminent sportspersons of outstanding merit to represent them in the Central Council / General Assembly, lack of reservation of seats for athletes in the Executive Committee and lack of any mechanism whereby athletes are elected from the Central Council / General Assembly to the Executive Committee.' (as reported by The Indian Express)

The players' petition accuses AITA of being a "serial offender" when it comes to these violations, further alleging that the body's leadership has failed to follow key governance principles outlined in the Sports Code.

Court Ruling: Elections to Proceed, Results Sealed

In a significant update, the Delhi High Court has rejected Somdev and Raja's plea to stay the elections scheduled for September 28. The elections for AITA's Executive Committee for the term 2024-2028 will take place as planned, but the results will not be announced or published immediately.

According to the court's ruling, the Returning Officer (RO) will place the election results in a sealed cover, which will remain unopened until the court reaches a final decision on the players' writ petition. The election results will be subject to the final outcome of the case.

Government Also in the Spotlight

Interestingly, Devvarman and Raja's petition doesn't just take aim at AITA. They have also included the central government, particularly the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, as a party in the case.

The duo alleges that the Sports Ministry has neglected its responsibility to ensure that AITA adheres to the Sports Code. The petition criticizes the Ministry for turning a "blind eye" to multiple obvious violations by the national tennis body.

The players emphasized that the Ministry has never made any meaningful attempt to verify whether AITA has been complying with the Sports Code, allowing violations to continue unchecked.

Election Timing Raises Questions

The timing of the petition is significant, as it comes just before AITA's elections scheduled for September 28. By raising these legal concerns now, Somdev and Raja are attempting to address long-standing governance issues within Indian tennis, which they believe have been overlooked for too long.

The case has brought the spotlight back on the importance of athlete representation in sports governance and the role of the government in enforcing the Sports Code.
The High Court's decision to proceed with the elections while keeping the results sealed signals that the governance of Indian tennis is under scrutiny.

The final decision in this legal case could lead to significant changes in how AITA operates, particularly in terms of compliance with national sports regulations. All eyes will now be on the October 14 hearing and the responses from the Ministry and AITA.