Bhubaneswar : Six Indian badminton players were barred from participating at the ongoing World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, due to an administrative error by officials from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Of the 12 players sent to represent India, only six were allowed to compete because the rest were left off the official list submitted during the mandatory managers’ meeting on July 16.
The six players who were able to compete were Saneeth Dayanand, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, Devika Sihag, Tasnim Mir, Varshini Viswanath Sri, and Vaishnavi Khadkekar. The barred players—Rohan Kumar, Darshan Pujari, Aditi Bhatt, Abhinash Mohanty, Viraj Kuvale, and Alisha Khan—made the trip to Germany but were not permitted to play as their names were missing from the final squad list.
Affected athletes have publicly condemned the incident as “career sabotage,” demanding answers and accountability from AIU and team officials. Alisha Khan, one of the excluded players, posted on Instagram, “We didn’t lose a match—we lost our right to even participate. This isn’t just a mistake. It’s career sabotage by AIU and our team officials. We demand justice.”
The AIU has acknowledged the incident and said the matter is being investigated. Secretary Dr. Pankaj Mittal confirmed, “We have been informed about this and the matter is being investigated,” but declined further comment. Sources have also reported that this issue is not isolated, claiming previous irregularities in selection trials and promises to athletes that were not kept.
Despite this controversy, the Indian team of six that was allowed to compete managed to win a historic bronze medal in the mixed team event—the country’s first-ever badminton podium finish at the World University Games.
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