The Kerala High Court has said that in the interest of the game, the Indian Olympic Association ought to have resolved the disputes within the ‘Federation’.
A Single Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran closed a Petition filed by volleyball players who approached the High Court against the decision of the Adhoc Committeee of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) to cancel the volleyball championship in the 37th National Games of India, 2023.
The National Games for the year 2023 have already begun. Going by the schedule of Games, the competition in the discipline of Volleyball is between 02.11.2023 and 06.11.2023 at Panaji.
Piyush Kumar , Standing Counsel for the Indian Olympic Association, stated that the Adhoc Committee is focused on conducting elections to the ‘Federation’ and that since they were also busy with the just concluded Asian Games, they obtained no time to devote for selection of team to the National Games. He then added that, therefore, the Volleyball competitions have been cancelled for the National Games; and that a National Championship for the said discipline is now proposed, but was unable to inform this Court the specific dates for the same. In fact, his submissions were that it is only after the office bearers of the ‘Federation’ are properly elected, can the same be done.
The Court finds it rather distressing that persons like the petitioners – who are Volleyball players and were training hard for the National Games for the last several months – have been placed in the present predicament. Their chance to participate in the prestigious National Games has been now thwarted, solely because there are conflicts among persons who were expected to be in administration of the ‘Federation’. This power conflict has unfortunately reached a situation where the competition in Volleyball itself has been taken out of the National Games; and one wonders whether it would be of any consolation for the petitioners, that it would be substituted by a National Championship, to be held sometime in the future, depending upon the elections to be conducted within the ‘Federation’.
Piyush Kumar affirmatively said that the competitions in Volleyball for the National Games have been cancelled, through a letter issued by the 3rd respondent (Adhoc Committee in charge of the Volleyball Federation of India) to the Game Administrators on 21.10.2023.
“However, this Court will not be found in error to have expected the Indian Olympic Association to have kept the itinerary of the National Games in mind, while appointing the 3rd respondent, who certainly could have then conducted the trials, they being now in charge of the ‘Federation’. The explanation given to this – that they were busy with the conduct of elections to the Federation and the Asian Games – certainly, offers little solace to the petitioners and other players.”
Therefore, since the competition in Volleyball for the National Games is stated to have been already cancelled, it would serve no purpose for this Court to ask the Kerala State Sports Council to send any team , observed the Court.
The Senior Counsel added that, in fact, last year, the Kerala Team – both men and women – had brought Gold Medals in Volleyball to Kerala; and he was very passionate when he asserted before this Court that it is rather unfortunate that the internecine disputes within the ‘Federation’ has now reached a situation where the players are forgotten and their legitimate aspirations jettisoned.
“In the afore scenario, this Court can do nothing more than to hold empathy for the situation of the petitioners; but before parting, it is necessary to say that, in the interest of the game, the Indian Olympic Association ought to have resolved the disputes within the ‘Federation’, keeping in mind the schedule of National Games and without disturbing it; but alas, this has not been done, but they appear to have chosen the easier path of cancelling the competition in Volleyball itself “, the order reads.