
Six Indian badminton players barred from World University Games over alleged administrative lapse
Twelve players were selected and sent to represent India, but only six were allowed to compete as officials failed to submit all names correctly during the managers' meeting on July 16.
"This is not just mismanagement – it's career sabotage. We demand answers, accountability, and that our voices be heard. We didn't lose a match — we lost our right to even participate," wrote Alisha Khan, one of the players left out, on Instagram.
"This isn't just a mistake. It's career sabotage by AIU and our team officials. We demand justice." According to sources, BV Rao and Ajit Mohan were the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) officials who attended the meeting. The AIU, which is the nodal body for university-level sports in the country, acknowledged the incident.
"We have been informed about this and the matter is being investigated," AIU Secretary Dr Pankaj Mittal told PTI while refusing to comment any further.
According to a source, the issue was not just an error but stemmed from "systematic irregularities" starting from the selection trials held at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar.
"During the managers' meeting, officials were given a letter listing all 12 players from India. It was their responsibility to read it carefully, check for missing or injured players, and confirm or adjust the names accordingly. However, they took it lightly," the source said.
"The names of players who hadn't attended trials were there. They came here only to enjoy. In the meeting, they also made a basic mistake. They were supposed to declare which player would play singles, doubles, and mixed, but didn't process it properly." Saneeth Dayanand, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, Devika Sihag, Tasnim Mir, Varshini Viswanath Sri, and Vaishnavi Khadkekar were the six who competed in the mixed team event.
India defeated Macau but lost to Hong Kong in the group stage, then beat the USA in the round of 16 and Malaysia in the quarterfinals before losing to Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.
Rohan Kumar, Darshan Pujari, Aditi Bhatt, Abhinash Mohanty, Viraj Kuvale, and Alisha Khan were part of the 12-member squad but did not get to play.
Pujari has written to the Badminton Association of India (BAI), demanding a thorough investigation.
'This level of mismanagement has caused significant emotional distress to the affected athletes, especially when Team India went on to win a historic medal at the Games. The players who were left out of the nomination list have been unfairly denied the chance to contribute on the field and be acknowledged as part of this achievement,' he wrote in his email.
'To date, there has been no accountability or concrete explanation provided by the managers. A mere apology cannot suffice at this level of international representation, where the careers, dreams, and morale of athletes are at stake.
'Through this email, I respectfully urge the concerned authorities to take this matter seriously, conduct a thorough review, and ensure that such avoidable and damaging incidents are never repeated in the future.' Expressing frustration over the incident and apathy of the Indian officials, a player said, "It's a historic achievement that our team won a bronze with just six players, but that certificate and medal will change their lives, not ours, when we were supposed to be there as a team.
'The frustrating thing is the officials don't even admit their mistakes or show any remorse," he said on condition of anonymity.
'The AIU can at least issue certificates acknowledging all 12 as team members to protect our career prospects and rights.' The selection trials were held in April at KIIT, Bhubaneswar, with over 210 players, including top-tier national and international university athletes, participating.
However, the source alleged that the players who actually topped the trials were left out of the mixed team event despite being part of the squad.
'The team manager made the blunder. The officials didn't focus during the meeting, and after the trials they didn't follow the proper process. They just submitted six names, so the other six were not allowed by FISU,' the source said.
'I don't know whether to call it a technical error or sheer misfortune. Entries were mailed, confirmations received, the team travelled all the way, and yet in the manager's meeting they missed out names. I don't know how it is possible to overlook such a basic responsibility.
'Players have been misled throughout. Now that they couldn't stand on the podium, officials are giving them false hopes about participation and medals in the individual events. The players worked really hard, and if they are robbed of their chance like this, it is unacceptable.' A player also alleged that officials goofed up the team jerseys, leading to a fine, an issue highlighted by Pujari in his letter as well.
'They printed full names instead of surnames, and the jerseys didn't carry the country name properly. The team was fined 1000 euros per match for incorrect jerseys. Only from the semifinals onwards did we get proper jerseys sent from India,' the player said.
'There wasn't even a proper coach. Players were sitting court-side, coaching each other during matches.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sports minister Mandaviya to meet Usha, EC members to resolve IOA impasse
New Delhi: Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will meet the Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and executive committee members to discuss ways to end the long-standing governance crisis in the apex sports body, it has been learnt. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, sports minister Mansukh Mandviya and IOA President PT Usha. (PTI) Usha and the EC members have been at loggerheads and that has severely impacted IOA's functioning. The EC has not ratified the appointment of Usha-backed CEO Raghuram Iyer. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) raised the governance issue with the Indian delegation that went to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne recently to discuss India's bid for the 2036 Olympics. Due to the governance issues, IOC has suspended its Olympic Solidarity grants to IOA. In the last few days, Mandaviya has made attempts to bring Usha and EC members to the negotiating table. He has held informal meetings with the EC members. It has been learnt that Usha too has reached out to a few EC members in her bid to break the ice. As reported by HT, the IOA truce started with Usha including treasurer Sahdev Yadav and EC member Bhupender Bajwa in a panel to set a roadmap for the delayed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections. Iyer, too, has spoken to some EC members. An official said his appointment is likely to be ratified now with certain renegotiations. 'A middle way is being worked out to break the deadlock,' the member said.


News18
29 minutes ago
- News18
BCCI Under RTI: Long-Stalled Sports Bill To Be Tabled Today, Likely To Clear Parliament
Last Updated: Despite not receiving government funding, the BCCI, like other national sports bodies, will have to comply with regulations set out by the sports ministry once the bill is enacted Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to introduce the highly anticipated National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The legislation, focused on athlete welfare and systemic reform, represents a significant step towards transparency and accountability in Indian sports governance. A key provision of the bill is to bring all national sports bodies, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. This long-debated and previously resisted move is expected to finally become law, ending years of delay and political pushback. A previous attempt during the UPA era by then sports minister Ajay Maken failed due to opposition within his own party. Despite not receiving government funding, the BCCI, like other national sports federations, will be required to comply with the regulations set out by the sports ministry once the bill is enacted. This is particularly significant as the Indian cricket team prepares to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will place the BCCI within the framework of a national sports federation. 'It wasn't easy to bring the BCCI on board, but extensive dialogue was held between lawmakers and the BCCI top brass to ensure their cooperation," a source involved in the legislative process told CNN-News18. 'The government's intent is clear: to instill accountability and transparency across all sports federations in the country." Once enacted, the bill will mandate all recognised sports bodies to comply with the RTI Act, opening up access to decision-making processes, financial records, and governance structures to the public. The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, aims to overhaul the Indian sports ecosystem through a series of structural reforms, including legal clarity, gender equality, athlete empowerment, and enhanced public oversight. More than just a legal framework, the bill signals the dawn of a new era where athletes are not just competitors but active stakeholders in India's sporting future. India's sports sector has long been plagued by controversies such as mismanagement, opaque elections in sports federations, and poor athlete representation. With over 350 court cases pending across federations, the judiciary has consistently urged the government to legislate a comprehensive governance structure. Efforts to introduce such a bill date back to 2011, but progress was repeatedly blocked by legal challenges, shifting political priorities, and unresolved court interventions. The Delhi High Court's endorsement of the 2011 Sports Code and pending litigations around the 2017 draft further stalled momentum. Officials believe that beyond governance reform, the bill will also contribute to employment generation, better protection for athletes—especially women and minors—and a more ethical, competitive, and globally aligned sporting culture in India. First Published: July 23, 2025, 01:42 IST Latest News Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI that crashed was a Chinese copy of the MiG-21 Breaking News Sports BCCI Under RTI: Long-Stalled Sports Bill To Be Tabled Today, Likely To Clear Parliament Cricket Harmanpreet's Century, Gaud's 6-Fer Help IND Beat ENG, Clinch ODI Series 2-1 Hollywood Benny Blanco Posts Selena Gomez's Sleeping Pics On Her Birthday: 'Never Waking U Up' news DOJ Seeks Meeting With Epstein's Ex Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump Calls It An "Appropriate" Move latest news


Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Meet Sudarshan Gopaladesikan: Indian-origin performance analyst who went from working for Infosys to joining Premier League giant Newcastle United
Newcastle United have made an interesting backroom addition with Sudarshan Gopaladesikan joining as Technical Director (Support Services). The Indian-origin expert brings years of experience in elite sports performance. His role will focus on improving player fitness, recovery, and preparation, areas that have become crucial in modern football's demanding calendar. A remarkable journey across sports Sudarshan started his career with an Infosys internship before moving to the US for a PhD in biokinesiology and physical therapy at the University of Southern California. He specialised in human movement and injury prevention. His first big break came with Major League Baseball side Los Angeles Dodgers. We have appointed Sudarshan Gopaladesikan as our new Technical Director 🤝Sudarshan joins after leaving Atalanta, where he was Director of Football Intelligence, and will lead football data operations for our men's, women's and Academy to Newcastle United, Suds! After his MLB stint, he joined the English Institute of Sport, working with Olympic athletes. That paved his path into football, first with Manchester City's City Football Group as Lead Data Scientist, focusing on player performance and injury analytics. Later, he became Head of Sports Science and Data at Chelsea. From Infosys to Premier League: Joining Newcastle United at 36 Sudarshan Gopaladesikan, now 36, is Newcastle's latest recruit in their push to strengthen off-pitch operations. Club CEO Darren Eales praised him as an 'innovative, forward-thinking leader' with a proven track record across multiple sports. His appointment also adds rare Indian representation in Premier League technical teams. So proud that someone of Indian origin is doing something massive in football. Sudarshan worked in Bengaluru for a while earlier in his life and he is such a role model for those in India who want to make it to the big leagues in football. Gopaladesikan expressed excitement at joining a club with 'a unique connection between the team, city, and fans.' He won't be involved in transfers but will be key in ensuring players stay fit and ready to compete at the highest level. Newcastle's long-term vision just got a significant boost with his expertise.