The fate of the National Ranking Table Tennis tournament in Panchkula hangs in the balance after the Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad-hoc committee made it clear that tournaments conducted by the suspended Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) will not be recognised as ranking events until an official domestic calendar is finalised.

In letters addressed to TTFI president Meghna Ahlawat on September 28 and 29, committee chairperson Indu Puri said the IOA-appointed body would prepare the domestic calendar in consultation with State associations and technical officials. Until then, “any tournaments held forthwith by TTFI shall not be considered as ranking tournaments.”

The clarification, coming barely a week before the Panchkula tournament is scheduled to begin on October 6 on Ahlawat’s home turf, has left several leading paddlers reconsidering their participation.

The event had attracted a strong field, including Manika Batra, who has not played a domestic tournament for over two years, and Asian Games bronze medallists Manush Shah and Diya Chitale.

With the tournament now unable to contribute towards the domestic ranking system unless its status is subsequently restored, several players, coaches and parents are understood to be weighing whether the travel to Panchkula is worthwhile.

The event could effectively be reduced to a prize-money tournament, although its eventual status could be revisited depending on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.

The ad-hoc committee’s position stems from the suspension of TTFI’s recognition by the Sports Ministry on August 12. It has maintained that the federation no longer has the authority to discharge public functions such as team selection, international representation and the conduct of official national ranking tournaments.

However, for the hundreds of players who had already made travel and accommodation arrangements, the uncertainty comes at a considerable cost. The tournament attracts everyone, from nine- and 10-year-olds competing in the junior categories to established senior professionals.

“The administrative differences will be settled in due course in courts, but it’s extremely unfair to put players’ future in jeopardy,” Haryana Table Tennis Association secretary MP Singh told The Hindu.

HTTA president Dushyant Chautala on Friday wrote a letter to the Sports Ministry, the IOA and other stakeholders highlighting “severe detriment to India’s elite and rising talent, mass financial and logistical ruin, violation of express governing mandates and catastrophic impact on the Olympic and international cycle” and requested for “immediate restoration” as official ranking event.

Singh estimated the combined financial loss to players, coaches and parents at around ₹8 crore if the tournament is disrupted.

“We coaches sincerely request all the administrators to think about promising and established players who have a lot at stake and address the players-related issues at the earliest,” said Jay Modak, a renowned coach.

Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee has sought TTFI’s constitutional, financial and selection records to facilitate international entries and the transition of administrative responsibilities.

The TTFI affiliates, meanwhile, are understood to have opted for a legal recourse, challenging the CoA appointment and its procedure in various High Courts.

The Indian hockey teams’ experiment with a change in jersey colour has been partially rolled back and the players will now don the traditional blue at the upcoming Asian Games.

The saffron kit, which led to allegations of politicisation and internal tussle within Hockey India, will be the second option.

“The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had asked us our preferred choice and HI has given blue as the first choice. Saffron will be the second colour,” HI president Dilip Tirkey said.

Meanwhile, almost two months after the sports ministry asked the Indian Olympic Association to conduct an independent inquiry into former captain Asunta Lakra’s allegations of harassment and intimidation against Hockey India secretary Bholanath Singh, a four-member committee has been constituted for the same.

The committee

The committee, headed by Justice (retd.) Deepa Sharma, also includes former India striker and 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mamta Kharab and former sprinter Vandana Rao.

Supreme Court advocate Sitwat Nabi is the fourth member of the committee which is expected to begin work later this week.

Following up on her accusations of threats and intimidation by Hockey India secretary Bholanath Singh, former India captain Asunta Lakra has urged the Sports Ministry to intervene against the “institutional protection of sexual harassment, intimidation and victimisation of women athletes in hockey”, even as federation president Dilip Tirkey assured to look into the matter.

Writing to the ministry, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha, among others, Asunta alleged that individuals accused of misconduct were being protected while those raising concerns were threatened.

“I write to you not merely as a former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, a member of the Executive Board of Hockey India and a selector but as an Indian woman who chose to speak up when young female athletes were being sexually harassed,” wrote Asunta.

“Throughout my career, I believed the greatest responsibility of a senior player is not only to win medals but also to protect the next generation… I brought to the attention of the Jharkhand government allegations against Sudhir Golla… what followed has shaken my faith in the system. The machinery of intimidation was set in motion against me,” she alleged.

Tirkey assured he would talk to both parties to resolve the matter. “Asunta Lakra is one of the treasures of Indian hockey. She has done a great service to the sport by bringing to light an unfortunate incident related to Jharkhand hockey. The Jharkhand government has taken action against Sudhir Golla, and we removed him from the Under-18 national team.

“Regarding allegations against Bholanath, I will speak to both parties and hope that the matter is resolved amicably. The dignity and respect of women is our top priority and Hockey India remains fully committed to the same,” Tirkey said.

India’s fight against doping received a massive shot in the arm on Friday (June 19, 2026) as javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra joined hands with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to launch an educational campaign against the menace that threatens to derail the country’s ambitions of becoming a global sports hub.

At the IOA’s second Athletes Forum in New Delhi, IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer announced that the body has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Neeraj Chopra Foundation for the Clean Sports Campaign.

A video message from Chopra, who is currently in Doha for Diamond League participation, was played out in which the two-time Olympic medallist talked about why he chose to take this initiative. India is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad and a poor doping record could dent the country’s chances.

“I have seen how kids want to enhance performance by doping to win big medals. But from my story, I can tell you it took me 10 years to get to the Olympic medal (a gold in Tokyo 2021 followed by silver at Paris 2024 Games,” the 28-year-old said.

“You need patience to achieve something in sports. I am seeing that patience has come down in today’s kids. They want to achieve things quickly, cross 80m (in javelin throw) in one year. It takes five years to do something like that,” he added.

The initiative comes at a time when India has been topping the World Anti Doping Agency’s annual list of highest dope offenders for the last three years.

A few weeks back, the country was categorised as a high-risk one for doping by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and WADA President Witold Banka did not mince words during a recent trip, saying that India has a serious doping problem even though efforts are being made to address it.

The initiative seeks to strengthen understanding of anti-doping regulations, reduce the risk of inadvertent doping violations and encourage a “culture of integrity and fair play at all levels of sport.”

Iyer said the campaign will leverage athlete-led storytelling, digital education tools, workshops and on-ground engagement programmes to make clean sport education more accessible, relatable and impactful for athletes across disciplines and age groups.

“…during my journey, I have learnt that success is never achieved overnight. It comes from years of discipline, sacrifice and doing the right things consistently,” Chopra said in his message.

“Clean sport is not only about rules, it is also about creating a comfortable safe space for athletes where they can clear their doubts about supplements and performance pressure which can serve as a sensitive anti-doping exercise,” he added.

The Sports Ministry is hoping to address the problem more aggressively by criminalising the supply and procurement of banned substances through amendments to the existing anti-doping law.

IOA’s joint effort with Chopra was in the making for the past six months.

A source close to the Haryana superstar told PTI that he took the lead in reaching out to the IOA, which was more than welcoming of his plan. Chopra, it is learnt, had been mulling over the plan for the past one year, concerned by the damage that doping cases were causing to India’s international image.

“For around six months, we had a discussion with him because he is the achiever. People should believe him players should believe him. He has already won the Olympic medal and has shown that you should do hard work,” IOA President PT Usha said while replying to questions from PTI.

“Dope is temporary. We should believe the person who has already achieved. We are 100 per cent supporting him. It’s a joint effort because we also want to do something and it’s great that the real champion has come forward,” she added.

Iyer said the move will go a long way in building an ecosystem where athletes can thrive while “upholding the highest standards of integrity and fair play.”

Founded in 2023, the Neeraj Chopra Foundation seeks to “democratise sports” by upgrading local training facilities, funding young athletes, and providing elite-level resources, including sports science, optimal nutrition, and injury prevention awareness to them.