The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed its concerns about the ongoing disputes and infighting within sports federations in India, emphasizing that such conflicts are detrimental to the sports environment. The remarks came during an appeal hearing related to the Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) election process, led by a bench consisting of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The court observed that the pervasive litigation and internal conflicts among sports federations could potentially compromise their autonomy and align with the principles set by the International Olympic Charter, which mandates that national bodies must operate independently. “Every sports federation has some dispute. Your function affects the entire nation. Why this kind of infighting? These kinds of things pave the way for where you can be disqualified by the international body,” the bench stated.
The legal controversy in question arose from a March 19 order by a single judge, which halted the BFI’s decision to restrict representation in its upcoming elections to only elected members from its affiliated state units. This order was in response to a challenge by the Delhi Amateur Boxing Association, which disputed the exclusion of two of its nominees based on a March 7 circular deeming them “ineligible.”
During the hearing, the counsel for the BFI argued that the single judge’s decision presented practical difficulties and demonstrated a lack of consideration, particularly as the election process was already at an advanced stage. The appeal stressed that the order was “unenforceable” because it allowed a party, not involved in the lawsuit, to participate in the election, thereby undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
Adding to the complexity, the bench highlighted that almost every sporting federation in India is currently embroiled in litigation, which they found perplexing and counterproductive. The court strongly advised the parties to resolve their disputes and warned of potential actions it might take if the infighting continued. “If the infighting does not stop, we know what to do. Please stop. In the interest of sports, we know what to do,” the court cautioned.
