New Delhi
The Delhi High Court dismissed shooter Manini Kaushik’s appeal to participate in the selection trials for the 50m rifle 3 position women’s category for the Paris Olympics. The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P.S. Arora, found the appeal irrelevant as the trials had already concluded. They stressed the need for selected players to focus on training to bolster India’s Olympic prospects.
Kaushik’s lawyer argued unfair treatment, but the court noted the trials occurred from April 22 to May 19, and grievances should have been raised earlier. Previously, on May 15, a single judge dismissed Kaushik’s initial petition, upholding the selection criteria set by experts.
Kaushik contested her exclusion, citing changes in selection criteria by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) in 2023. However, the court found the 2023 criteria reasonable and unchallenged.
Kaushik also complained about not participating in the International Shooting Sport Federation Final Olympic Qualification Championship in Rio De Janeiro, but the court deemed it unsubstantial. Consequently, the court upheld the single judge’s decision, allowing selected athletes to proceed with their preparations unimpeded by legal disputes, and dismissed Kaushik’s appeal as irrelevant.
