Delhi HC orders TTFI to give clean chit to Manika Batra 

Manika Batra is all set to receive a clean chit from the Table Tennis Federation of India. The Delhi High Court ordered the federation not to harass any player unnecessarily.

Justice Rekha Palli said that according to the report no fault could be attributed to Manika Batra seeking a personal coach. The report had been filed under sealed cover.

The judge heard Manika Batra's petition alleging that TTFI was carrying out its selection process in a non-transparent manner. She also alleged that the federation was targeting certain individuals such as herself.

Manika Batra was left out of the Indian contingent for the Asian Table Tennis Championships. She had alleged that the national coach Soumyadeep Roy “pressurized” her to “throw away” an Olympic qualifier match in favour of one of his trainees.

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On the last occasion, Manika Batra told the court that she was being targeted by the national federation for raising her grievances in the court. She revealed that now the international federation was also treating her like an accused.

Delhi High Court told TTFI counsel:

“I am not happy the way the federation is functioning. You are trying to probe a person for no reason. Is your federation willing to take a stand? Is it willing to withdraw the show cause issued to her? I have seen the inquiry report. Idea is to resolve... if she can go and concentrate on matches. This is not to perpetuate."

The judge further added:

"There is a finding (in centre's report) that there is no fault on her part (if she says) that I want a personal coach. The report says very clearly that attributing fault on petitioner would not be appropriate."

The Delhi High Court gave Manika a clean chit and added:

"At the moment, a player should not suffer. The country cannot afford to have players come to courts… I want you to give a clean chit to her, saying no inquiry is needed. (That there is) no question of any misconduct on her part."

During the hearing, the court also pulled up the TTFI for “overreaching” its order directing an inquiry by the Center into its affairs. The court said it “will take suo motu contempt”.

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Manika Batra seeks change in TTFI rules regarding national camp

Manika Batra sought to quash TTFI's rules mandating compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp for selection at international events. She stated that Table Tennis is an individual sport, which requires specialized training with support staff. Thus the rule against personal coaching is arbitrary, irrational, absurd, and has no nexus with achieving excellence in an individualized sport.

The court stayed the ruling on September 23. It had said that mandatory attendance at the national camp was enforced “at a point when there was a complaint pending against the national coach”. The court stressed that the same “does not inspire confidence”.

The petition asserted that the national coach, in a clear conflict of interest, was running a private table tennis academy simultaneously. On one occasion, he “pressurized the petitioner (Manika Batra) to throw away a match. He did so only with a view to help one of his trainees at his private academy to qualify for the Olympics, 2020”.

Earlier, the Center had stated that the federation's rule on compulsorily attending the national camp was in the teeth of the sports code and defeated merit. TTFI has defended the rule and stated that such a mandate was present in other sports as well including weight lifting and judo.