HC gives clean chit to Indian Karate team for SAF Games in Colombo

Mumbai, Aug 18 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has given a clean chit to the karate players selected by All India Karate Do Federation to participate in the SAF Games in Colombo, Sri Lanka that begins on August 24.

A division bench comprising Justices H L Gokhale and J P Devdhar directed the Indian Olympics Association to send all players and officials selected by the AIKF to represent India at the SAF Games.

Six players -- Sukesh Kotian, Divya Revankar, Sandeep Malpekar, Divya Kathavate, Sharmila Gharu and Anoop Dethe -- along with Maharashtra Karate Do Mumbai filed a petition before the court alleging that while IOA had finalised a list of 18 participants, they had not listed any player selected by the AIKF.

According to the petitioners, IOA was only a monitoring body for approval and accreditation of the players selected by the AIKF whereas the selection of the candidates was to be done by AIKF itself. They contended that IOA neither has the authority nor the expertise for such selection.

They also informed the court that the AIKF had already submitted their list to IOA in May but the list they issued in August was completely different.

The court held that the players selected by AIKF shall be given the accreditations and permissions required for the SAF Games within 48 hrs.

But today the IOA moved court for modifications in order and conveyed to AIKF that the players could not be sent as they were late to send their entries for the competition.

However, Justice F I Rebeillo and A Mohta declined to interfere in the matter.

Advocate Arshad Shaikh, the petitioner's lawyer told UNI today, ''While we await the sanctions from IAO, the players are also trying to get entry in the SAF Games and will go ahead on their own expense to be later re-imbursed by IOA.'' If the IOA fails to comply, we shall move a contempt petition before the court.

UNI ARM PM SHB BD2001