Concentrate more on sending players overseas, not officials:HC

Players should get precedence over officials when it comes to attending tournaments overseas, the Bombay High Court said today, while directing the Badminton Association of India to fund the participation of player Prajakta Sawant at a tournament in Bahrain if it was funding the participation of other players.
The order by division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha came on Sawant's petition alleging that BAI's selection committee, headed by chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, sidelined her because she was not from Gopichand's own coaching academy.
"Sports associations should concentrate more on sending players than officials. We direct respondent 4 (BAI) to pay the expenses for the petitioner's participation in the Bahrain Challenge to be held from November 6 to 9....The expenditure shall be borne only if BAI is bearing expenditure of other India players in the tournament," the court said.

Sawant had earlier accused Gopichand of mental harassment after she was refused entry at national coaching camp in Hyderabad. Gopichand promoted players from his academy, she had alleged.
The High Court in March this year directed the BAI to accept Sawant's application to participate in the tournaments that were to be held in May and June. The court also asked the Maharashtra government to consider giving some financial aid to her, following which the government gave her Rs 3 lakh and she participated in a few international tournaments subsequently.
Sawant moved the court again last month levelling allegations against the selection committee and questioning the ranking method.

"Till March 2013 I was on rank 3 but soon after that I dropped to sixth rank. Players like Ashwini Ponappa, Pradnya Gadre and others who have been selected in the Indian core team do not even pass the second round in tournaments," her petition said.
BAI lawyer Nimay Dhave argued that Sawant's ranking dropped as she did not perform well in the last year. He also stated that BAI was not funding any of the players for the Bahrain tournament.