Ensure gender parity in participation of athletes, HC directs Sports Ministry

The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Sports Ministry to ensure gender parity in the participation of athletes in national sports federation events.

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The court stressed that the selection pool must be broad enough to include not just international athletes but also those who have participated in domestic, local and Khelo India sporting events.

Justice Sachin Datta issued the directive while hearing a plea against the Badminton Association of India’s (BAI) February 13, 2025, notification, which allocated fewer slots for women para-athletes than their male counterparts in the upcoming Khelo India Para Games, 2025.

“It is a matter of record that female athletes have brought significant sporting glory to the country, and this court cannot countenance a situation where equilibrium is not maintained between the male and female contingents in sporting events,” the court observed in its March 12 order.

The petition challenged the BAI’s selection criteria for para-badminton events at the second Khelo India Para Games, scheduled to be held in Delhi from March 20 to March 22.

The plea contended that limiting women para-athletes to only eight slots per event while granting men 16 slots was discriminatory and violated the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.

Rejecting the BAI’s justification that the reduced slots for women resulted from a smaller pool of international-level female para-athletes, the court stated, “There is no reason why the participation of women para-athletes should not be augmented by drawing from the pool of para-athletes who participated in the National Para-badminton Championship, 2024, and the Khelo India Para Games, 2023.”

Emphasising the importance of gender equality in sports, the court reiterated: “The principle of gender parity in sports is mandated under constitutional provisions as well as the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.”

The BAI, in response, informed the court that it would attempt to increase the participation of women para-athletes in the Khelo India Para Games, 2025, by drawing from the pool of participants from previous national para-sports events.

Considering the forthcoming nature of the games, the court refrained from issuing a binding directive. However, it emphasised the need for parity in future selections.

“The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports must endeavour to ensure that parity is maintained in the participation of male and female athletes in sporting events organised by the National Sports Federations,” the court directed.