India, March 17 -- The Delhi High Court has instructed the Union Ministry of Sports to ensure gender equality among male and female athletes in events organized by National Sports Federations (NSFs). This directive follows concerns regarding the Badminton Association of India's decision to allocate fewer slots for female competitors in the upcoming 2nd Khelo India Para Games, scheduled to take place from March 20-22.

During the hearing of a petition filed by Rahul Verma challenging the BAI's notification from February 13, which outlined the selection criteria for the Games, Justice Sachin Datta expressed his discontent in an order issued on March 12 and made public on Thursday. He stated, "The decision to provide fewer slots for female para-athletes is not acceptable to this court. The principle of gender equality in sports is enshrined in constitutional provisions and is also reflected in the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011. It is well-documented that female athletes have significantly contributed to the nation's pride, and this court cannot tolerate a scenario where balance is not upheld between male and female participants in sports events," remarked Justice Datta.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports must strive to ensure that equal representation is maintained for both male and female athletes in competitions organized by the National Sports Federations (NSFs).

The petitioner argued that the notification was discriminatory towards female athletes, offering only eight slots for them compared to 16 for their male counterparts. He also pointed out that the allocation of 75% of available slots based on world rankings disproportionately favoured established international players, which contradicts the Khelo India initiative aimed at nurturing emerging national-level athletes.

BAI's legal representative attributed the situation to a diminished number of competitive international athletes. However, they indicated that the federation would endeavour to enhance the involvement of female para-athletes by allocating additional slots, which would be sourced from participants in the National Para-badminton Championship 2024 and the Khelo India Para Games 2023.

Subsequently, the court dismissed the petition, noting that the Games are set to commence on Thursday.

"In light of the aforementioned statement and considering that the upcoming 2nd Khelo India Para Games 2025 is imminent, this Court refrains from issuing any mandatory directives regarding the event. Nevertheless, it is instructed that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports ensure that the pool of participating athletes is sufficiently diverse to include not only those who have competed in international events but also to adequately represent athletes who have taken part in domestic, local, or Khelo India Games events," the court stated.

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