Women Taekwondo players move HC for direction to include them in Asian Games

Two women Taekwondo players have approached the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Union Ministry of Sports and other authorities to include their names in the list of players who would represent India in the upcoming 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The two players sought direction to the Sports Authority of India to conduct selection trials for selecting Taekwondo players and to the Sports Ministry to allow selected players to participate and represent the country in the Asian Games to be held from August 18 to September 2.

According to advocate Saurabh Jain, appearing for players Purva Dattatray Dixit and Kashish Malik, Justice Vibhu Bakhru today asked the counsel for Centre to take instructions from Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to act as a single person committee to decide on the issue as to how India can be properly represented at the Asian Games, 2018 for Taekwondo Sport since the Indian Olympic Association has not cleared the names of eligible players to represent the country at such a major event.

The court has listed the matter for tomorrow for further hearing.

According to the petition, 24-year-old Dixit is a Kyorugi Taekwondo player for under 49 Kg in senior category female and has participated in various national and international events since 2010 and has secured several medals, including four gold medals in international events.

Eighteen-year-old Dixit is a Kyorugi Taekwondo player for under 57 Kg in senior category female and has participated in various national and international events since 2015 and bagged several medals, including two gold and a silver in international events, it said.

Jain said there is was representation from India for Taekwondo (Kyurogi) in all categories and since the two women are the top ranking players in their respective category, they should be sent to represent the country in the Asian Games.

"Admittedly selection trials were not conducted by anyone, neither the Taekwondo Federation of India nor Indian Olympic Association or Sports Authority of India," he claimed.

"The petitioners (players) are aggrieved by the arbitrary action on the part of the respondents (authorities) resulting in a shameful situation where in-spite of having qualified to participate in Taekwondo sport in the 18th Asian Games... being organised by Olympic Council of Asia, they and the other c0mpetent and deserving players of Taekwondo sport have not been selected for participating in the Asian Games," the plea said.

It alleged that the action was completely "arbitrary and malafide", resulting in the chances to score medals for India at such a big international event to be "virtually miniscule".