On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected as withdrawn Advocate Vishal Tiwari’s Public Interest Litigation, which sought orders from the respondents, the Union of India (UoI) and other sports authorities, to recognise Hockey as India’s national sport.
The Supreme Court’s three-judge panel, led by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and including Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi, refused to issue any directions or orders to the Central Government the matter.
“We are sorry, but we cannot direct the Government of India to pass any order in this matter,” the bench declared, refusing to hear the case or issue any ruling.
The Judges stated that they agree with the petitioner and sympathise with his claims in the petition.
However, they stressed that they are unable to make direct orders to the government in this regard.
The petitioner, Vishal Tiwari, argued that sports played an important role in nation-building before the Supreme Court.
He asserted that “Sports links to a sense of national pride. We have been competing in the Olympics for decades, but the results have been disappointing.
Sportspeople require a lot of help and resources from the federal government and all states “.
He claims that the national game is missing from the list of national identity characteristics and that the government should define which game is India’s national game.
The petitioner was instructed to withdraw his case by the Supreme Court. In response, the petitioner requested the right to communicate his arguments to the respondents.
He does not need liberty for this; Justice Lalit reminded him to send his representation to the relevant government and agencies.
A lawyer, Vishal Tiwari, filed a petition with the Supreme Court, requesting that it issue appropriate directives to the UoI and numerous sports bodies to promote our sports, including athletics events, which are played in the Olympics as promoting cricket.
In his petition to the Supreme Court, he requested that the Respondents, the University of Ottawa, and other sporting entities concerned recognise Hockey as India’s national sport.
“There is a common idea that Hockey is India’s National Game or Sport,” Tiwari told the news agency, “but it has not been officially recognised by the government yet.”
Tiwari requested that the UoI and other sports bodies be directed to improve the sports industry/Olympic Games by giving adequate funding, facilities, and infrastructures, according to a copy of his petition obtained by the SC.
He further requested that the UoI and other sports authorities be directed to begin public accountability of the monies provided to this business and to conduct more promotional operations, including proper broadcasting of such sports.
Tiwari further requested a special committee to look into and manage the sports programme in schools and colleges and promote the Olympic athletics activities at the school and college level.
In his petition to the Supreme Court, Tiwari stated that “Hockey’s history in India is a source of national pride for the entire country.
India has always been one of the most dominant players in this sport. However, it is a greater pity that India has not received an Olympic medal in the sport of Hockey for the past 41 years. On the other hand, India was successful in securing a bronze medal in Hockey at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after a forty-one-year wait “.
“Hockey needs to be proclaimed our national game,” Tiwari stated in his petition.
“While India is a cricket superpower and has a history of generating some of the world’s greatest minds and corporate leaders, it has faltered in other areas,” Tiwari wrote in his plea to the Supreme Court.
“With no initiatives & assistance from the UOI, the game of hockey, which has been a true pride of India, has lost its appeal,” Tiwari wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court.
After 41 years, India won a bronze medal in this event this year, despite India having previously dominated this game.
As a result, it demonstrated the UoI’s and other sports organisations’ lack of effort in ensuring that the game’s standard is comparable to that of other countries, according to the appeal.
“In comparison to other Olympic-playing nations, our country, which has a larger population, more resources, and more talent, has been continually disappointed in the world’s most competitive and massive competition.
The fact that our country struggles to win many medals at the Olympic Games regularly, “In his plea to the Supreme Court, Tiwari stated.
Arbitrary financial allocations, insufficient infrastructures, and a lack of international level facilities, according to the petition, should be dealt with correctly. Allowances and monthly subsidies to support their families are also denied to potential athletes.
“The federal and state governments have failed to take any positive steps to improve the sports business.
The policies in place in the field of sports haven’t proven to be fruitful or successful enough. As a result, new norms and regulations are required for the sports business to compete at a higher level, “According to Tiwari’s petition.
Furthermore, “The public funds that the government has used in the past to fund programmes for sports initiatives have not been used to their full potential. The proper allocation of cash is still an unresolved question with no accountability.”
It also states that “Promotional activities for sports other than cricket have been exceedingly disappointing, resulting in a lack of awareness for sports that are equally vital for people to participate.
Demotivation and untapped talent for the country have resulted from such limited promotional functions with no concessions for the athletes “.
