Sports Ministry Under Fire: The AIU's Administrative Setback at University Games

The Sports Ministry issued a show-cause notice to the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) for failing in its duties toward athlete development and planning. This follows last year's World University Games controversy, where administrative lapses barred half the badminton players from participating.

In a significant development, the Sports Ministry has called out the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) for allegedly mishandling its responsibilities towards university-level sports in India. A show-cause notice has been issued, highlighting deficiencies in athlete planning and development.

The AIU came under fire following last year's World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, where six out of twelve badminton players were barred due to administrative errors. Officials reportedly failed to correctly submit the required athlete names, which critics argue amounted to career sabotage.

In response to these criticisms, the AIU formed an inquiry committee and suspended its joint secretary, Baljit Singh Sekhon. While medals were obtained for impacted athletes, questions remain unanswered about the body's future plans to address these ongoing administrative issues.