Playing in ‘unsanctioned’ hockey tournaments does not attract automatic ineligibility from domestic championships: Karnataka High Court
The Karnataka High Court ruled that participating in unsanctioned hockey tournaments does not automatically disqualify players from domestic competitions. The court emphasized that disciplinary action requires a formal inquiry process rather than automatic bans.
Why it matters
This ruling clarifies the rights of athletes and limits the arbitrary power of sports governing bodies in enforcing participation regulations.
The High Court of Karnataka has ruled that playing in an “unsanctioned” hockey tournament attracts automatic ineligibility from participating in only international hockey tournaments and does not result in automatic ineligibility from participating in domestic — district, State, and national — level hockey tournaments as per the Hockey India regulations.
The conduct of a disciplinary enquiry through the Disputes and Grievance Redressal Committee as per the regulations is mandatory prior to taking any action against allowing participation in domestic tournaments, the court said, while interpreting Hockey India’s 2019 regulations relating to sanctioned and unsanctioned events.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order recently while partly allowing the petitions filed by seven senior hockey players, who were barred from participating in the ongoing 10th Karnataka Hockey League Championship for allegedly participating in an “unsanctioned” hockey tournament organised by the Karnataka State Hockey Association.
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