Birth Certificate "within five years" Not Mandatory: Delhi High Court Strikes Down Basketball Federation of India Rule
Participants in National Championships across all younger age groups (U14, U16 and U18) impacted
As per a judgment dated January 27, 2025, the Delhi High Court has struck down a Basketball Federation of India rule that mandated birth certificates issued “within 5 years of their birth” in order to be eligible to compete in all age group National Championships.
The judgment was issued on two petitions filed prior to the 74th Junior National Basketball Championship held from May 8 to 14, 2024.
Discriminatory Rule
The court noted that the rule discriminated against players from socio-economically backward classes for whom it may not be feasible to obtain birth certificates within five years of birth.
The court reiterated that all National Sports Federations, including BFI, must follow the provisions laid down in the National Code against Age Fraud in Sports (‘NCAAFS’), 2010. Here, while the provisions mention the requirement of a suitable DOB document like a birth certificate, they do not specify that the same has to be issued within a stipulated time frame.
Basketball Federation of India (BFI) had defended its birth certificate rule citing the high cost of conducting age verification tests. However, the court overruled this argument by pointing out that the NCAAFS already provided for the reimbursement of such expenses by the Government.
Mandatory Medical Examination
The court also dismissed BFI’s contention regarding the inaccuracy of age verification tests, saying there was nothing to suggest the same.
It reiterated that the NCAAFS make it mandatory to conduct a medical examination on the first occasion for any athlete/sportsperson participating in any age-restricted competition.
“The National Code against Age Fraud in Sports is binding not only on the respondent no.1 (BFI) but also on other sporting federations in the country,” the judgment concluded.
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