Delhi High Court strips IOA president Ramachandran of national award

Saying it “exemplifies everything that is wrong in such matters in Indian sports”, the Delhi High Court has ordered India’s Sports Ministry to take back the Rashtriya Khel Protshan Puraskar award that was given to IOA president N Ramachandran in 2011.

Ramachandran, who is the brother of current ICC chairman, and former BCCI president, N Srinivasan, was awarded the Puraskar during his time as patron of the Squash Rackets Federation of India because he claimed he had spent Rs 7.5 crore over a period of ten years to run the Squash and Triathlon Academy in Tamil Nadu. He also claimed to have contributed Rs 2 crore to The Indian Squash Academy over a period of two years.

However, in 2013 a group of former squash players filed a PIL challenging the award as well as the changes to the selection committee in 2011 that removed the requirement for five Olympians and four Arjuna Awardees and replaced them with bureaucrats and corporate nominees.

The players alleged that Ramachandran had submitted false accounts of his contributions to the sport and that therefore he was not eligible for the award in the first place.

The Delhi High Court found overwhelming evidence in favour of the plaintiffs, saying there was no documentary evidence to back Ramachandran’s claims that he either personally contributed funds or did so through any of his companies.

“It would not be unreasonable to conclude that the approach of the Committee appeared to be of genial camaraderie and affinity with the fifth respondent [Ramachandran>– more akin to “well we have heard good things about him, so there is no harm in recommending his name (for the Puraskar)”. the High Court said in its order.

In a statement, Ramachandran said: “I am travelling at the moment and have not had an opportunity to read the order. I have the highest regard and faith in the Indian judiciary; however I am disappointed with the decision. I will decide on the way forward after I have had an opportunity to peruse the entire order. This will not take away my passion for promoting sports / sports administration.”

The Court also lambasted the lack of sportspersons involved in deciding the award.

“The total disregard to the voices of squash players – past or present, and the squash coaches – past or present – in the opinion of this Court, was an insult to the sport. No attempt to secure some form of feedback from the users, or ask for tangible materials, apart from what was given, was made by the Selection Committee or the Central Government.

“Even the complaints which were given post announcement, were merely referred back to the fifth Respondent. All these show at best a casual mind; at worst, they betray some kind of premeditated determination to somehow go ahead and confer the Puraskar.”

The court instructed the Sports Ministry to reinstate the requirement for eminent sportspersons in the selection committee for the award, saying their exclusion was “without any basis”.

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was instituted in 2009 in order is to “encourage and promote involvement of corporates, voluntary organizations, sports control boards etc., in the promotion and development of sports in the country.”