ORDER :

Suraj Govindaraj, J.

1. The Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs;

i. Issue a Writ of Certiorari and Quash the decision of the 4th Respondent dated 23.06.2026 (Produced as Annexure-"H"); and the consequentially direct the Respondent No.3 to recall the forwarded list of the selected athletes to the Asian games 2026; and

ii. Issue a writ of Certiorari and quash the Selection public summary dated 20.06.2026 and 21.06.2026 passed by Respondent No.4 (produced as Annexure- "E" and "F"); and

iii. Consequently, direct the Respondent No. 4 to constitute a fresh selection committee to select the name of Athletes as per the common order dated 16.06.2026: (Produced as Annexure-D') and:

iv. Pass such other order as deemed fit in the facts and circumstances of the case in the interest of justice and equity.

2. The Petitioner is a professional surfer and an accomplished Indian athlete in the discipline of surfing. He has represented India in several National and International surfing competitions and has distinguished himself through his performances. The Petitioner is also stated to be the only Indian surfer to have secured a Bronze Medal at the Asian Surfing Championship, 2025, thereby bringing international recognition to the country.

3. Respondent No.4-Surfing Federation of India (hereinafter referred to as “SFI”) undertook the selection process for identifying surfers to represent India in the men's and women's surfing events at the 20th Asian Games to be held at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in 2026 (hereinafter referred to as the “Asian Games”). The SFI is the national governing body for the sport of surfing in India and, in that capacity, is entrusted with the task of assessing and selecting eligible athletes to represent the country in international competitions, including the Asian Games. The SFI functions under the National Sports Development Code of India and, pursuant to the directions of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (hereinafter referred to as “MYAS”), formulated a Selection Policy for the Asian Games.

4. The SFI had initially constituted a Selection Committee which proceeded to select certain athletes. The said selection was challenged by the Petitioner as well as Surf Kerala, the Surf Association of the State of Kerala. In terms of Clause 11 of the Selection Policy, an Appeals Panel was constituted to consider the challenge. By its decision dated 16.06.2026, the Appeals Panel set aside the selection and directed the SFI to constitute a Selection Committee in accordance with Clause 10 of the Selection Policy and undertake a fresh exercise of selection.

5. The Appeals Panel further directed that due weightage be given to performances in the Asian Championships and that, in the event of any deviation therefrom, detailed and cogent reasons be recorded. It was also directed that all International events conducted from 01.01.2025 onwards be taken into consideration while undertaking the fresh selection.

6. Pursuant to the decision of the Appeals Panel dated16.06.2026, a Special Selection Committee was constituted. The Committee unanimously selected Mr.Kishore Kumar as the first confirmed athlete and Mr.Srikanth.D, as the second reserved athlete. However, the Committee could not arrive at either a unanimous or majority decision regarding the placement of the Petitioner and Respondent No.5, who is also a surfer, in the second confirmed position and the first reserved position respectively.

7. Recording that there was a tie between the Petitioner and Respondent No.5, the Committee resolved to reconvene after obtaining clarification from the relevant authorities and stakeholders regarding the applicable procedure for breaking the tie.

8. Pursuant thereto, a communication was addressed to the SFI seeking clarification, which was furnished by the General Secretary of the SFI. The Special Selection Committee thereafter reconvened on 21.06.2026 to resolve the deadlock between the Petitioner and Respondent No.5. Du