Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010755222200.htm

Sport - Sports : General

‘Eligibility rules in tune with Olympic Charter’

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Sports Ministry has reiterated its commitment to ensure that only Indian citizens would be able to represent the country in international sports competitions.

A debate has been raging in sports circles regarding the eligibility criteria in the case of certain sportsmen who live overseas and hold foreign passports.

The ministry’s decision to bar those not holding Indian passports from representing India has caused displeasure in some sports, especially tennis. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has also come out in support of players not holding Indian passports, pointing out that rules of the international governing bodies including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were sufficient to tackle the issue.

The case of Prakash Amritraj has been brought into focus with the player, who is settled in the US, now being ineligible to represent India in Davis Cup.

Ministry sources argue that Prakash does not qualify to play for India.

In defence of their contention, the ministry sources pointed out the rules of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) that stated that any tennis player who is in good standing with his National Association shall be qualified to represent that country if he: a) is a national of that country, has a current valid passport of that country, has lived in that country for 24 consecutive months at some time and has not represented any other country during the period of 36 months immediately preceding the event.

The Commonwealth Games Federation eligibility rules also demand that a competitor should be born in a Commonwealth country that has common citizenship/passport with other Commonwealth countries, the competitor may initially represent either the competitor’s Commonwealth country of “birth of his or her father or mother that shares the same citizenship/passport.”

The Sports Ministry sources claim they have relied on the Olympic Charter in formulating the policy on eligibility.

The Olympic Charter defines eligibility thus: “Any competitor in the Olympic Games must be a national of the country of the NOC which is entering such competitor.”

There was a difference between an Indian citizen and a Person of Indian Origin (PIO), according to the Sports Ministry.

A PIO was not eligible to represent the country at the cost of local talent, it says.