In a concerning development for the administration of kabaddi in India, the women’s national kabaddi team has appealed to the Supreme Court to intervene and direct the ‘Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India’ (AKFI) to facilitate their participation in the upcoming Senior Kabaddi Championship in Iran, scheduled from February 20-25. The team, which is considered a strong contender for the gold medal, faces uncertainty over their involvement due to AKFI’s disaffiliation from the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF).
Representing two national kabaddi players, Priyanka and Pooja, senior advocate K Parameshwar informed the bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh that despite the team’s strong potential, their participation is at risk because the AKFI’s affiliation with the IKF has not been restored. The IKF disaffiliated AKFI on July 2 last year, preventing both the men’s and women’s teams from competing in several international events.
The petitioners urged the court to direct the Union Government to take action to restore AKFI’s affiliation with the IKF. While initially the bench believed the disaffiliation was due to the presence of an administrator in the sporting body, it was clarified that elections had taken place, but the elected body had yet to take charge. Justice Kant questioned the political dynamics at play and called for a response from the Union Government by February 3.
The AKFI’s continued management by an administrator for the past six years has resulted in the disaffiliation, as international bodies require a democratically elected body for affiliation.
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