Delhi HC rejects IHF reimbursement plea

Utkarsh Anand

New Delhi Ruling that the central government is not bound to provide financial assistance to a National Sports Federation for organising or participating in every tournament or training camp, the Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to be reimbursed Rs 85.3 lakh for taking part in five sporting events — competition and training — between 2005 and 2008.

The court however granted partial relief to the IHF and directed the Sports Ministry to release Rs 6.25 lakh, the financial assistance to which the ministry had agreed when the IHF organised the 27th Men’s Championship Trophy at Chennai from December 10 to 18, 2005.

Justice V K Jain refused to pass any propitious order on reimbursements for the other four claims — organising the 2007 men’s Asia Cup at Chennai; participation in men’s coaching-cum-competition tour at Perth in 2008; participation of men’s team in 2008 Olympic Qualifiers at Santiago in Chile; and participation in four-nation tournament in Australia in 2008.

The court noted that while the Ministry had given its go ahead to the IHF for participating in these events, it never promised for a financial assistance and that no sanction in this regard was granted.

The judge further noted that it was for the government to decide whether or not to grant financial assistance as sought by a national federation and that no federation could claim such assistance as a matter of its legal right.

“If the plaintiff was aggrieved on account of government not committing financial assistance/grant in terms of the guidelines issued by it, the appropriate remedy available to it was to file a Writ Petition seeking release of the grant. But, in absence of any financial commitment from the government, the expenditure incurred by the plaintiff cannot be recovered in a Civil Suit,” said the court.