TTFI urges Sports Ministry to reconsider withdrawal of recognition after suspension
The Table Tennis Federation of India on Thursday asked the Sports Ministry to reconsider its August 12 order withdrawing recognition from the national body, after the Ministry on Wednesday suspended the federation and asked the Indian Olympic Association to form an ad-hoc committee to run the sport. The appeal was made in a statement issued by TTFI president Meghna Ahlawat.
The Ministry cited governance lapses, including the federation's failure to hold elections on time and an "unsatisfactory response" to a show-cause notice, when it moved to suspend TTFI and initiate interim administration through the IOA. In its statement the federation urged the Ministry to keep its August 12 order in abeyance and reconsider the matter afresh. "TTFI respectfully seeks the Ministry's kind consideration of the implications that any external or interim administrative arrangement may have in this regard, including the principles of autonomy recognised under Rules 27 and 28 of the Olympic Charter," the federation said.
The TTFI reiterated the governance protections it says apply under international rules, adding: "The Olympic Charter and the Statutes of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) recognise and expressly protect the autonomy of National Sports Federations and require their governance and administration to remain free from any third-party interference." The federation also stressed its legal status as an autonomous society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and said its governance is guided by its Constitution and General Body.
TTFI disputed the factual basis of the Ministry's order, saying the issues cited had been addressed or required clarification before the show-cause notice was issued on June 30. "TTFI submits that each of the deficiencies cited in the impugned Order was either factually incorrect or had already been remedied well before the Show Cause Notice dated 30.06.2026 was issued," it said. The federation said it had presented a detailed reply dated July 7 supported by minutes, resolutions and audited records.
The statement referenced internal disputes within the federation earlier in the year, noting that in January it suspended secretary general and former player Kamlesh Mehta over alleged financial irregularities and that Mehta challenged that suspension in the Delhi High Court, which later quashed his suspension. The federation also pointed to recent on-field results, saying there were "five women and three men ranked in the ITTF world Top-100/Top-50 respectively," and cited medal-winning performances at the 2022 Asian Games and the 2026 Asian Youth Championships.
On engagement with the Ministry, TTFI said: "TTFI remains in close and constructive engagement with the Ministry and is fully committed to addressing any concerns." The federation added that it is committed to good governance, transparency and accountability under the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 and the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
"TTFI believes that concerns referred to in the Show Cause Notice have either been duly addressed or appropriately clarified. 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."