Arjuna Awardee Shooter Naresh Sharma Moves Delhi High Court Over His Non-Selection For Tokyo Paralympic Games

Arjuna Awardee and five-time Paralympian shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma has moved the Delhi High Court over his non-selection for the upcoming Tokyo games 2020. The plea seeks direction to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), the apex body for promotion and development of Para Sports in India, to include his name in the list of selected shooters for Tokyo Paralympics in the R7 event. The plea alleging manifest arbitrariness and non-application of mind on the part of the Selection Committee of PCI will be heard by the Bench of Justice Rekha Palli tomorrow. In his plea moved through Advocates Satyam Singh and Amit Kumar Sharma, Sharma has alleged that the Selection Committee of the PCI in the arbitrary, capricious, and discriminatory exercise of discretion failed to select him for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The plea avers that he fulfills all the eligibility criteria as laid down by the Sports Technical Committee (STC) shooting of PCI in consonance and in conformity with the eligibility criteria as laid down by WSPS (World Shooting Para Sports). It further states that despite his remarkable performances in the past and his achievements, the Selection Committee of PCI arbitrarily and without application of mind selected Deepak to participate in Tokyo Paralympic in R7 event in place of competent and deserving Naresh Kumar Sharma. "They consciously and arbitrarily denied the petitioner his legitimate opportunity to participate in the R7 event at Tokyo Paralympic…There was a premeditated plan on the part of the Selection Committee to exclude the name of the petitioner," the plea adds. The plea also submits that the selection process for the Tokyo Games was in violation of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 which mandates judicious and meritorious selection of players to represent India at major international events. The plea also prays for a direction to the Sports Authority of India to allow him to train at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, Delhi. Seeking the intervention of the Delhi High Court in the instant matter, petitioner Sharma has submitted that his legitimate opportunity of participating in Tokyo Paralympic in R7 event and consequently bringing laurels to the country will be lost, if the arbitrary, discriminatory and capricious selection of the shooter in R7 event by the Selection Committee of PCI is allowed.

Arjuna Awardee Shooter Naresh Sharma Moves Delhi High Court Over His Non-Selection For Tokyo Paralympic Games

Sparsh Upadhyay

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