1. Dispute regarding the administration of a sports federation and the urgent need for player participation in an international championship. (Para 2 )
Back
Next 
2025 Supreme(SC) 1347
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
SURYA KANT AND NONGMEIKAPAM KOTISWAR SINGH, JJ.
Priyanka And Another - Appellant
Versus
Union Of India And Others – Respondent
Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s). 93 of 2025
Decided on : 06-02-2025
Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. K Parameshwar, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Gajendra Singh Negi, Advocate, Ms. Chitransha Singh Sikarwar, Advocate, Mr. Krishna Kumar, Advocate
For the Respondent:Mr. Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General Mr. Udit Dediya, Advocate, Mr. Bhuvan Kapoor, Advocate, Mr. Anuj Udupa, Advocate, Dr. N. Visakamurthy, Advocate, Ms. Nandita Rao, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Farrukh Rasheed, Advocate, Mr. Amit Peswani, Advocate, Mr. Md. Ekhlakh Alam, Advocate, Mr. Shoeb Alam, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Anjuman Tripathy, Advocate, Mr. Ardhendu Pratap Swain, Advocate, Mr. Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Sravan Kumar Karanam, Advocate, Mr. Shourya Dasgupta, Advocate, Mr. Kumar Abhishek, Advocate, Ms. Aditi Gupta, Advocate, Mr. Akshay Mann, Advocate, Mr. Abhiram Bannuri, Advocate, Dr. Menaka Guruswamy, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Neeraj Kumar Verma, Advocate, Mr. Utkarsh Pratap, Advocate, Ms. Arunima Das, Advocate, Ms. Aditi Tripathi, Advocate, Ms. Shaswati Parhi, Advocate
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. K Parameshwar, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Gajendra Singh Negi, Advocate, Ms. Chitransha Singh Sikarwar, Advocate, Mr. Krishna Kumar, Advocate
For the Respondent:Mr. Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General Mr. Udit Dediya, Advocate, Mr. Bhuvan Kapoor, Advocate, Mr. Anuj Udupa, Advocate, Dr. N. Visakamurthy, Advocate, Ms. Nandita Rao, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Farrukh Rasheed, Advocate, Mr. Amit Peswani, Advocate, Mr. Md. Ekhlakh Alam, Advocate, Mr. Shoeb Alam, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Anjuman Tripathy, Advocate, Mr. Ardhendu Pratap Swain, Advocate, Mr. Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Sravan Kumar Karanam, Advocate, Mr. Shourya Dasgupta, Advocate, Mr. Kumar Abhishek, Advocate, Ms. Aditi Gupta, Advocate, Mr. Akshay Mann, Advocate, Mr. Abhiram Bannuri, Advocate, Dr. Menaka Guruswamy, Sr. Advocate, Mr. Neeraj Kumar Verma, Advocate, Mr. Utkarsh Pratap, Advocate, Ms. Arunima Das, Advocate, Ms. Aditi Tripathi, Advocate, Ms. Shaswati Parhi, Advocate
The Court directed the Administrator of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India to hand over charge to the elected Governing Body to ensure player participation in an international championship, clarifying that this administrative transfer does not constitute judicial recognition of the elected body's legal status.
Headnote:(A) Indian Constitution - Articles 14 and 21 - Writ petition regarding the governance of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India - Court recognized the urgency for participation of players in the Senior Asian Kabaddi Championship 2025 - The Administrator is directed to handover charge to the elected Governing Body by 11.02.2025 - The Court commends the Administrator's work but clarifies that this does not signify recognition of the elected body of AKFI - Next hearing scheduled for 03.03.2025. (Paras 2-4)
(B) Administrative Law - Accountability and governance in sports federations - Importance of fair election processes and compliance with constitutional duties for fulfilling the rights of players. (Paras 3, 4)
Legal Category Hierarchy
Table of Contents
2. Urgency of player participation in international championships versus the pending legal recognition of the federation's elected governing body. (Para 2 , 4 )
3. The court acknowledged the restoration of transparency and autonomy in the federation but distinguished between the operational handover of charge and legal recognition of the body. (Para 3 , 4 )
4. The temporary entrustment of administrative charge to an elected body for urgent operational purposes does not constitute judicial recognition of that body's legal status. (Para 4 )
5. Administrator directed to handover charge to the elected body; Government and International Federation ordered to ensure player participation in the championship. (Para 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 )
6. Does the entrustment of charge to an elected body of a sports federation imply judicial recognition of that body?
No, the court explicitly clarified that the entrustment of charge to the elected body does not mean that the court has recognized the elected body. (Para 4 )
7. May a court order the handover of administration for urgent operational needs while legal challenges to the governing body remain pending?
Yes, the court may direct the handover of charge to ensure participation in urgent international events, while specifying that pending legal issues must be concluded in due course. (Para 2 , 4 )
ORDER :
1. Heard learned senior counsel for the parties for some time.
2. Owing to the urgency regarding participation of Indian players in the Senior Asian Kabaddi Championship 2025 (Women), scheduled to be held in Iran from 20.02.2025 to 25.02.2025, we request Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg, who was appointed as the Administrator of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (in short, the "AKFI"), to handover the charge of the Federation to the Governing Body, which is said to have been formed through the election held on 24.12.2023. The needful be done on or before 11.02.2025.
3. We acknowledge the commendable work done by Justice (Retd.) S.P. Garg in restoring transparency and functional autonomy to AKFI as well as bringing many desired reforms in the Association.
4. It is clarified that the entrustment of charge to the elected body does not mean that this Court has recognised the elected body of the AKFI. Similarly, the issues raised in our order dated 04.02.2025 will have to be taken to a logical conclusion in due course of time.
5. The newly elected Governing Body shall remain present in Court through its counsel on the next date of hearing. A status report on the participation of players in the above-mentioned Championship shall also be submitted.
6. On entrustment of charge to the elected body, the International Kabaddi Federation shall abide by the assurance/undertaking given by it in its letter dated 06.02.2025.
7. The Governing Body of the AKFI shall take all necessary steps for selecting the team for participation in the above-mentioned Championship.
8. The Government of India, through Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, will also ensure that the Indian team(s) are allowed to participate in the aforesaid Championship.
9. Post the matter on 03.03.2025.
