'Give charge to elected body': SC to Kabaddi federation administrator

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) administrator former judge SP Garg to hand over charge to its elected governing body by February 11.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said though there were certain issues that needed a closer look, it was an ad hoc arrangement to facilitate players to participate in the upcoming Asian Kabaddi Championship scheduled to be held between February 20 and 25 in Iran.

The bench, while lauding the work done by Garg, said the entrustment of charge did not mean the court recognised the body elected in December, 2023.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said a meeting was held with the International Kabaddi Federation, which assured that the suspension of AKFI would be done, given there was an elected governing body.

On February 4, the top court said "strong measures" were required to infuse purity, fairness, autonomy and independence in Indian sports federations and oust persons who "monopolised" such bodies with vested interest.

The top court was hearing a plea of two national Kabaddi players Priyanka and Pooja seeking direction to AKFI -- unaffiliated by the International Kabaddi Federation -- for sending them to Asian Kabaddi Championship scheduled to be held in Iran from February 20 to 25.