TTFI asks Sports Ministry to keep suspension order on hold
Meghna Ahlawat, president of the Table Tennis Federation of India, has asked the Sports Ministry in Mumbai on August 13, 2026 to keep the federation’s suspension as the National Sports Federation on hold and to reconsider the Ministry’s decision, a day after the Ministry suspended TTFI’s recognition with immediate effect.
In a statement issued on Thursday (August 13, 2026), Ms. Ahlawat raised objections to an interim administrative arrangement proposed by the Indian Olympic Association and said the federation believed the concerns cited in the Ministry’s order had either been addressed or required further factual clarification. The federation underlined its status as a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and asked the Ministry to withhold implementation. "The Federation therefore proposes to request the Ministry to kindly keep the Order dated 12.08.2026 in abeyance and to consider the matter afresh," Ms. Ahlawat stated.
Ahlawat warned against any external or interim administrative arrangements and cited Rules 27 and 28 of the Olympic Charter in support of sporting autonomy, adding that the Olympic Charter and ITTF statutes protect the independence of National Sports Federations and require their administration to remain free from third‑party interference.
The TTFI said the matters raised in the suspension order had, "in the Federation’s understanding", either been resolved prior to the show‑cause notice issued on June 30 or had been set out in its detailed response to the Ministry on July 7. The federation said that response was backed by minutes, resolutions and audited records.
Ms. Ahlawat, who is the wife of former TTFI chief Dushyant Chautala, pointed to recent on‑court results, including the presence of five Indian women and three men in the ITTF world top‑100/top‑50, respectively, medal‑winning performances at the Asian Games and Asian Youth Championships, and what the federation described as a robust junior pipeline.
The TTFI reiterated its commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability under the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011, and the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. "TTFI remains in close and constructive engagement with the Ministry and is fully committed to addressing any concerns that may be brought to its attention," the federation said.
The latest development leaves the proposed interim administrative arrangement as the next major point of contention, with the TTFI stressing that any such mechanism must take into account the principles of sporting autonomy and the federation’s legal status under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
The federation has requested that the Ministry keep the Order dated 12.08.2026 in abeyance and reconsider the matter afresh, while the question of an IOA‑proposed interim arrangement remains the immediate issue to be resolved.