Manika Batra v TTFI hearing postponed to December 6th

The ongoing Manika Batra v TTFI saga has seen no end in sight. Back in September, it was first thought that an amicable solution would be reached between the parties soon. However, after the intervention of the Delhi High Court, this matter seems to have dragged on further as the parties are taking their own time over complying with orders.

Originally scheduled to take place on October 28th, it has seemingly been postponed to December 6th later this year. In the order dated September 23rd, the Court gave time to the Sports Ministry to conduct an enquiry into the matter. While the reason behind the enquiry is clear, there is no doubt that it will take more time to actually verify and submit evidence of the entire exchange between the player and management. The Court seems to have understood that this is not a small matter and has given an extended period for the enquiry and admissions.

It is now another anxious wait for Batra as she continues to play at the ongoing World Table Tennis Contender taking place in Tunis. However, such a mental distraction is undeniably existent for any sportsperson and one can only hope that there is a definite solution reached by the end of the year. Not just for the sake of the player, but for the integrity of sport overall.