High jumper Tejaswin Shankar will not be able to take part in the upcoming Commonwealth Games even after winning a case in the Delhi High Court against his exclusion from the Indian athletics team after the Birmingham CWG organisers rejected his late entry.
The CWG organisers have informed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that “late athlete replacements (LAR) will only be permitted to compete in events in which the original athlete was entered".
The Games organisers said, in reply to IOA’s letter of request, that “LAR isn’t a tool for replacement based on team selection".
“The CGF in consultation with the relevant International Federation and CGF Medical Commission (when deemed appropriate by the CGF), may approve a permanent replacement of an athlete by another eligible athlete only in the same sport and discipline and event(s) where there are extenuating/extraordinary circumstances (e.g., medical circumstances, Anti-Doping rule violations and appeals) that may prevent the participation of an athlete in Birmingham 2022," the letter from the CWG organisers said.
“Unfortunately, as this falls under a disqualification rather than a Medical Circumstance, this request will not be able to be approved."
On Wednesday, the AFI had told the Delhi HC that national record holder Shankar has been included in the Indian athletics squad for the July 28 to August 8 quadrennial event in place of 4x400m relay team member Arokia Rajiv, who was named in the original 36-member squad.
There was no high jumper in the Indian athletics team announced on June 16.
Justice Yashwant Varma of Delhi HC, who was hearing the case, had directed the AFI to forthwith transmit his name to IOA for further action.
“We have requested the Indian Olympic Association to replace Arokia Rajiv, who withdrew from the National Inter-State Athletics Championships due to illness, with Tejaswin Shankar," AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said in a statement.
Initially, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had requested the IOA to increase its quota to accommodate more athletes. The IOA, in turn, had requested the CWG organisers in this regard.
Shankar had filed a petition at the Delhi High Court challenging the decision of the AFI to exclude him from the team, contending that he reached the qualification guidelines of the AFI by jumping 2.27m at the NCAA Championships in USA, where he is studying.
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