Player selection based on several factors, not as simple as comparing scores: Delhi High Court

The court, while dismissing petitions by table tennis players Manush Shah and Swastika Ghosh against their exclusion from the country's Commonwealth Games squad, emphasised that a player must possess physical as well as great mental and emotional strength and agility to represent a nation and to participate and excel, and it is thus pivotal that there should be no uncertainty in their minds. The petitioners sought a direction to the Table Tennis Federation of India to include their names in the list of four selected players for the table tennis team for the Commonwealth Games 2022.

The court said that in the present case, the concerned authorities examined the entire issue and finalised the names to be sent for participating in the Commonwealth Games after taking into account all aspects and it “cannot substitute its view with the view arrived into by the Committee of Administrators and the Selection Committee” and be a “Super Selector”. “To represent a nation and to participate, perform and excel in the arena of international sports, a player must not only possess physical but great mental and emotional strength and agility.

It is thus pivotal that there should be no uncertainty in the minds of the players. Such litigations may disrupt and impact the preparation and performance of the players.

Thus, I consider that there is no substance in the present petitions. Accordingly, the petitions along with all the pending applications are dismissed,” said Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma in the order passed last week.

“The court has to take into account that the Selection Committee/Expert Committee has to take into account numerous factors while taking the decision of selecting sportsperson to represent the country. This exercise