Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based sports company has sparked a debate on social media after its CEO announced that the organisation would not hire male candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
Karthik Shenoy, CEO of A1 Sports World, announced the decision in a post on X on September 23, saying it followed what he described as a “lengthy discussion and quarrel” within the organisation. The announcement drew criticism from users who questioned the use of a candidate’s state of origin as a basis for recruitment.
CEO announces recruitment restriction
In his post, Shenoy said the company had decided not to hire male candidates from the four states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
He also referred to a woman from Rajasthan who was already working with the company and said she supported the decision.
The announcement quickly attracted attention online, with users questioning whether applicants should be assessed individually on their qualifications, experience and conduct rather than being excluded based on their state of origin.
CEO cites alleged employee misconduct
In a subsequent post, Shenoy explained the circumstances that led to the decision.
According to his account, the controversy began about two weeks earlier when a male employee from one of the four states was dismissed. Shenoy alleged that the employee had been warned twice about his behaviour towards female employees but continued to behave abusively.
He further alleged that the employee had attempted to force himself on a female colleague.
Shenoy said A1 Sports World works with young children and argued that the safety of its employees and the children associated with its programmes was a priority.
The allegations concerning the former employee have been made by Shenoy in his social media posts and have not been independently established in the reports on the controversy.
Company has employees from other states
Shenoy also sought to explain the company’s broader hiring practices while responding to criticism.
He said A1 Sports World has 32 employees, including 14 women. According to him, 20 employees are from other states, including 12 from non-southern states.
He also said the company’s workforce includes people from different religious backgrounds.
Shenoy maintained that the company believes in equal opportunity across gender, religion, caste and creed, while saying his intention was to draw attention to concerns relating to the safety of women and children.
Social media users question blanket policy
The recruitment announcement prompted criticism from several social media users.
Some users questioned the decision to exclude male applicants from four entire states based on an alleged incident involving an individual employee. Others said workplace safety concerns should be addressed through appropriate screening and action against individual employees rather than by applying a broad restriction to a geographical group.
The discussion has consequently extended beyond the specific incident to questions around recruitment practices, workplace safety and the use of demographic or regional criteria in employment decisions.
Some users also asked whether legal action had been taken against the former employee in connection with the allegations. Reports on the controversy have not established whether a police case was filed.
A1 Sports World based in Bengaluru
A1 Sports World is a Bengaluru-based sports business involved in sports programmes and related activities. Its LinkedIn profile lists its headquarters in Bengaluru and describes the company as a privately held sports business.
The company’s recruitment policy announcement has now brought attention to its hiring practices, with the debate continuing on social media.
For now, the restriction announced by Shenoy remains the company’s stated position in his social media posts. The controversy centres on whether concerns arising from alleged individual misconduct should form the basis for a broader recruitment restriction covering male applicants from entire states.