Now Reading: Sports Ministry suspends Table Tennis Federation of India for poor governance
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Sports Ministry suspends Table Tennis Federation of India for poor governance
Sports Ministry suspends Table Tennis Federation of India for poor governance
The Sports Ministry has suspended the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) over persistent governance failures, directing the Indian Olympic Association to set up an ad-hoc body to run the sport. The…
The Story in Brief
The Sports Ministry has suspended the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) over persistent governance failures, directing the Indian Olympic Association to set up an ad-hoc body to run the sport. The ministry said TTFI violated the National Sports Development Code and disregarded its directives on elections, account audits, and selection policies. The federation faces an internal rift between president Meghna Ahlawat and secretary general Kamlesh Mehta, which blocked AGMs for years.
The uncertainty has raised questions about upcoming events. The first zonal National ranking tournament in Kanpur (August 16-23) is still on, TTFI sources confirmed. However, India’s foreign coach Massimo Costantini, whose tenure ended in May, has put travel plans on hold. The ministry said TTFI’s selection policy is unfair and restricts meritorious athletes such as star player Manika Batra, who recently criticised her exclusion from the Asian Games squad.
The Indian Opinion
The TTFI suspension is being framed as a sudden crisis that will derail Asian Games prep, but the rot was visible for years. Two warring factions stopped holding AGMs, auditing accounts, or holding timely elections. The ministry waited until a star player publicly complained about a selection policy that harmed her career. If the ad-hoc committee picks a clean-up over a power-sharing deal, players might actually benefit from the shake-up. Watch whether the National ranking tournament in Kanpur starts as scheduled on August 16.
Sources (4): ndtvprofit.com, thehindu.com, newindianexpress.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
