Railways appeal for AAI disqualification alleging

Railways, who finished as runners-up at the Senior National Badminton Championship, wants champions Airport Authority of India (AAI) to be disqualified, alleging that they have fielded "ineligible" players. Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) has shot a letter to Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Ajay Singhania, saying that the governing body had informed some teams ahead the Junior Nationals in December last year, that they cannot field players on scholarship and on contract in the team championship.

AAI employs players only on contract and RSPB said this makes the players ineligible and hence should be disqualified. "Our team manager Gajender Singh had raised the issue in the managers' meeting but his objections were overlooked. This has resulted in Indian Railways missing out on the title," RSPB wrote in the letter.

Railways had narrowly missed out on the title after losing the summit clash against AAI 2-3 on Monday. During the Inter-State Junior team championship last December, BAI had asked Air India to furnish proof of employment of the shuttlers representing the team, thus rejecting their entry for the event.

However, BAI allowed AAI to field contracted players for the Inter-State Championship. Singhania said they had to allow AAI to compete since they had qualified for the Nationals after participating at the All India Inter Institutional tournament in August last year, much before the communication was sent.

"The Inter-Institutional tournament, which was the qualifying event for the Inter-State championship, was conducted before the Junior Nationals and so we had to allow AAI to play in Guwahati," he told reporters. "We want teams to field employed players because it will only help the athletes get permanent jobs." PTI ATK KHS

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