Pune: Senior Badminton Player Raj Singh Faces Unexplained Ban from Tournament

Pune, 10th January 2024: In a surprising turn of events, Rajwant Singh (popularly known as Raj Singh), a senior citizen and an amateur badminton enthusiast, was banned from participating in a tournament on January 8th at 4 p.m. The ban, imposed by PDMBA (Pune District Metropolitan Badminton Association), has raised questions as no official disclosure has been made by the Haveli Taluka Badminton Association or the Pune District Mahanagar Badminton Association.

Raj Singh, who has been playing badminton as a hobby for the past 48 years, is also associated with the Sikh Helpline Foundation, organizing badminton tournaments for senior citizens and participating in both national and international competitions. Recently, he successfully organized a national-level competition for senior citizens.

Expressing his dismay over the ban, Raj Singh said, “I participated in this tournament organized by Haveli Taluka Badminton Association in Pune under the auspices of PDMBA. On January 8th at 4 p.m., they went to a cold venue in Piyasi but were humiliated and kicked out.”

Unable to comprehend the reason behind the ban, Raj Singh questioned, “What crime have I committed? What is my fault? Why am I not allowed to play?” Frustrated by the situation, he called the police, suspecting personal animosity as the cause. However, the police responded negatively, advising him not to disturb the peace.

Feeling insulted, Raj Singh took to Twitter to address the Police Commissioner Ritesh Kumar, sharing his disappointment and seeking justice. In his tweet, he mentioned being a world-class senior player and filed a complaint at the Deccan police station.

Raj Singh, who holds the sixth rank in the world as an amateur senior player, expressed his dedication to badminton and social service. He emphasized his contribution to the game in Pune, nurturing local talent and participating in international tournaments, where he recently secured a bronze medal. He stressed the importance of standing against injustice and voiced his deep disturbance at being insulted in this manner.

The incident has sparked concerns within the badminton community and raises questions about transparency and fair play in sports associations. The ban on a seasoned player like Raj Singh has brought attention to the need for clarity and accountability in such decisions.

PDMBA Secretary Ranjeet Singh said, “To participate in any competition, it is imperative to obtain proper permissions, aligning with the competition’s designated level. The recent participant who got banned from our official badminton competition had previously engaged in an unofficial event without the necessary permissions. Our badminton competitions hold official status, and organizers or players involved in unofficial events face consequences, including the blocking of their Badminton ID. Penalties are applied to allow the individual to resume playing. Ideally, if the ID had been blocked before the tournament, entry approval would have been withheld. Unfortunately, the proximity in timing between the previous unofficial competition and our sanctioned event led to the imposition of a ban on this participant. It is crucial for ‘senior badminton players’ to exercise caution in such matters. Additionally, a police complaint has been filed by that participant, and we have engaged with the authorities. This is not the way to approach this situation.”