Questionable sports certificates stump recruiters

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, May 29

Sports quota is a window for sportspersons to get a permanent job. However, at a time when such recruitments are few and far between, there are rising incidents of candidates submitting questionable certificates.

In some cases we could not find any data that the person in question had even participated in a state meet but the submitted certificate says the athlete has represented India in some capacity. An Income Tax Department source

A few such cases have come up during the recruitment process in the Income Tax Department, Mumbai. Candidates with certificates from dubious championships have been shortlisted for openings as multi-tasking staff, tax assistants and inspectors.

Shahnawaz Malek submitted a merit certificate from the 4th National Games 2020-21 organised by The Association for Traditional Youth Games and Sports (TAFTYGAS). The body claims to have recognition from the Fit India under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It only has a Facebook page that shows it is a working sports body.

Similarly, Deokate Appasaheb submitted a certificate of a second-place finish in the athletics competition at the 2nd Indo-Nepal Games in October 2023. Interestingly, his track and field discipline is not mentioned. The event was held under the Indian Games and Sports Federation (IGSF), which does have a website but the contact numbers do not work.

And then there is the Indo-Bhutan International Tennis Ball Cricket Bilateral Series, in which Manish Jha secured a third-place finish as part of the India ‘B’ team in April 2023.

The secretary general of the Tennis Ball Cricket Federation of India, Imran Lari, insisted that it was a genuine tournament. “Yes, we had sent a team there last year and it is a genuine tournament,” he said.

When questioned that how an India ‘B’ team was also fielded when the certificate says it was a bilateral series, he said, “It was a championship and so we were allowed to field a B team as well.”

The number of such certificates has raised many eyebrows within the department regarding the recruitment process. Sources said that in many cases it was almost impossible to arrive at a conclusion about the veracity of the certificate or the competition.

“In some cases we could not find any data that the person in question had even participated in a state meet but the submitted certificate says the athlete has represented India in some capacity,” said a source on condition of anonymity.

He added that as per the rules of the department of personnel and training, there will be no field trials before recruitment, which means that a lot of the candidates with questionable certificates will likely get the jobs. As of now, the recruitment is put on hold. However, it is understood that the process will start soon after the elections.