3 months ago
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The simmering powerfulness conflict wrong the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has spilled into the open, with rival meetings convened by the federation’s apical office-bearers taking contradictory positions connected some authorization and legality.
At an Annual General Meeting (AGM) convened by TTFI president Meghna Ahlawat, woman of erstwhile TTFI supremo Dushyant Chautala, successful New Delhi connected Wednesday, the location suspended secretary-general Kamlesh Mehta with contiguous effect, according to aggregate members contiguous astatine the meeting. The AGM besides handed implicit complaint to Yatin Tipnis, who had mislaid to Mehta successful the past election.
The move, however, came against the backdrop of a Special General Meeting (SGM) convened by the Mehta-led faction successful Mumbai connected January 17, which questioned the precise legality of Wednesday’s AGM. That SGM, chaired by elder vice-president Padmaja Menon, had asserted that it was constitutionally valid and that the AGM announcement issued by the president was not.
In her AGM announcement dated January 6, Ahlawat cited the secretary-general’s inaction arsenic the crushed for convening the gathering herself.
“Despite the circulation of the projected docket points a fewer days agone and a ceremonial petition to the Secretary General to convene the Executive Committee Meeting and the Annual General Meeting connected Wednesday, January 28, 2026, nary effect has been received from Mr Kamlesh Mehta, nor has immoderate authoritative announcement been issued for the said meetings,” Ahlawat wrote to members.
However, the draught minutes of the January 17 SGM stated: “The House unanimously resolved that the AGM announcement and docket circulated by the president are unconstitutional and invalid. The contiguous Special General Meeting, convened connected requisition by much than one-third of members, is law and legally valid.” Responding connected Thursday, Mehta, an eight-time National champion and an Arjuna Award recipient, told The Hindu helium was successful the acheronian implicit his alleged suspension.
“I person not received immoderate ceremonial connection from either the president oregon anyone other astatine the TTFI truthful far,” Mehta said. “I had emailed the president successful November conveying the value of convening the AGM astatine the earliest. While it went unanswered, it was astonishing and shocking to spot her level specified allegations against maine erstwhile I work her January 6 communication.”
Ahlawat did not respond to queries from The Hindu. However, sources adjacent to the president confirmed that Wednesday’s AGM had nullified each decisions taken astatine the January 17 SGM successful Mumbai.
The escalating tussle has besides formed uncertainty implicit the elder National championship, with the eight-day model successful March astatine Indore — finalised astatine the January 17 gathering — present nether a cloud. With some factions questioning each other’s legitimacy, Indian array tennis appears headed for yet different spell of administrative flux.
