Delhi HC orders revoking of provisional recognition to 54 NSFs

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Sports Ministry to revoke the provisional recognition it had given to 54 National Sports Federations (NSF) on May 11. The court said that the ministry by doing so has not complied with an order that was issued on February 7 this year.

The order required the ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to "inform the court in advance" while taking "any decision in relation to the NSFs."

The court in its order on Wednesday said that the ministry "shall issue a fresh notice within two days intimating all the 54 NSFs concerned that its order giving provisional renewal till 30.09.2020, stands recalled."

The ministry usually provides recognition until the end of the year but it has in this instance only given it provisionally until the end of the year. The order could have an effect on any plans to resume training camps after over three months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The ministry further said in court that revoked suspensions of any NSFs were not reversed in the process of granting the provisional recognition in May and that it will maintain the status quo until further orders.