What’s the story?
Following the election of Mridul Gehlot as the president of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), veteran kabaddi players have now come together to protest against the decision. Wife of former sports administrator Janardhan Singh Gehlot, Mridul’s election was not received well by the ex-kabaddi fraternity.
Also, the newly formed Kabaddi Association is determined to challenge and end the dominance of veteran sports administrator Janardhan Singh Gehlot. According to Hindustan Times, MV Prasad Babu, the secretary general of New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKFI), was quoted as saying, “I am sure we have more eligible administrators to oversee a sport in which we’ve won gold at every Asiad.”
Trending
Prasad Babu also attributed the failure of the development of the sport to Gehlot’s undemocratic methods.
The context
Janardhan Gehlot, who led the AKFI for over two decades had to leave office in 2012-13 following a new implementation of National Sports Code. The new rule barred officials from becoming president of a National Sports Federation (NSF) for more than three terms. Thus to keep it within the family, Gehlot’s wife Mridul, who is a gynecologist by profession, was brought in to fill the void. She was recently re-elected for another term of four years.
However, Mridul is not the only family member that JS Gehlot has promoted. Last year when he stepped down as president of Rajasthan Kabaddi Association, he kept his control over the state body through son Tejesvi Singh who was made the state unit’s president.
The heart of the matter
Recognized by the World Kabaddi Federation (WKF), NKFI was launched this year on May 19 and is led by President Sarvesh Kumar. NKFI secretary Prasad Babu cited the appointment of Gehlot’s wife as the trigger. The nomination of Mridul has been challenged in the court. Mahipal Singh, who is a former international kabaddi player, has also filed a public interest litigation in a Delhi court. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on July 24.
Parallels from the past
This is not the first time kabaddi federation has split. Following the 1997 elections, the federation split up in two factions. One was headed by JS Gehlot and the other by Kuldip Vats. However, both factions failed to reach a common ground ahead of the 1998 Asian Games, and thus six players from each side were fielded in the national team.
Author’s take
There have been several registered incidents over the years related to nepotism and discrimination while recruiting or selecting a professional in sports. It’s high time to get rid of such malpractices and the government must take steps to have a professional and ethical approach.
