Delhi High Court today sought the Sports Ministry's response on a plea seeking direction to include a 16-year-old boy to participate in the junior world boxing championship to be held in Russia next month.
Justice V P Vaish directed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to take instruction on the minor, Harshpreet Sehrawat's plea claiming he is the "best boxer in his weight category of 80+."
"Come tomorrow with your instruction on the issue," the court said.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Sehrawat's guardian who claimed that the boy was a national champion fighting much older boxers in his weight category, and despite his weight and credentials, he had not been selected by the Selection Committee for the World Junior Championship to be held at St Petersburg, Russia from September 2-13, 2015.
Advocate D R Nigam, appearing for Harshpreet Sehrawat, told the court that the Sports Authority of India and the Sports Ministry "being aware of the above facts, is keeping quiet and is not intervening".
The counsel said the petitioner was 13 years of age in 2012 when he won gold medal fighting in under-17 age category, won National Gold at the age of 14 in the same category in 2013 and a silver medal in the National Games at the age of 15 years fighting in under-19 years category, "thus clearly establishing his talent, merit and continuous and consistent performance."
The boy also contended in his plea that he came to know from news reports that "two boxers including him of 80 and 80+ category were not included in the list of boxers to be sent to Championship as they did not have passports."
"The said statement is absolutely false as the petitioner is having a valid and completely legal passport," the counsel said.
