Delhi High Court Overturns Taekwondo Official's Ouster Amid Allegations

The Delhi High Court has overturned the dismissal of Taekwondo's Director of Competition, citing a lack of evidence for corruption accusations. The court criticized the decision to remove T Praveen Kumar without substantial proof. The ruling may impact the governance within India's Taekwondo associations.

In a significant legal decision, the Delhi High Court on Thursday overturned the removal of the Taekwondo Director of Competition, T Praveen Kumar. The court found that the allegations of corruption against him were unsupported by substantial evidence.

The case arose after Kumar was removed by the National Games Technical Conduct Committee due to alleged bribery in officiating results. The High Court, however, pointed out the absence of a rational basis for replacing Kumar, who was not directly involved in the technical adjudication of fixtures, and highlighted the age of complaints dating back to 2012.

With the High Court ruling in favor of reinstating Kumar, the Taekwondo Federation of India has welcomed the decision and promised to cooperate for the benefit of athletes and smooth conduct of competitions. Meanwhile, the federation is considering defamation claims against those who alleged misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)