The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has declared that preliminary confidential reports suggest that four Indian junior shuttlers altered their age records so as to participate in tournaments.
According to reports in the Hindustan Times, the report of the agency’s sports integrity unit, to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) states that the parents of Laa Talar (BAI ID No 2681), C Rahul Yadav (BAI ID No 1461), Chirag Sen (BAI ID No 2304) and Akash Yadav (BAI ID No 5333) consciously manipulated the birth certificates.
The report stated, “The manipulation has been done under false declaration by misusing the provisions of Section 13 of The Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969 to make eligible their child to play in lower age groups and make better performance compared to their peers and a result got sponsorship/grants, etc from respective state govt/central govt/PSUs and other institutions and consequential benefits.”
The report concluded that the parents allegedly used fake affidavits to manipulate the date of birth. However, the unit did not provide any substantial reason for registering cheating cases and has recommended that suitable action is taken against the guilty party.
“Appropriate action may kindly be taken against the four players, and action taken in the matter may be intimated to CBI in due course,” the report added.
Also read: Indian shuttlers found overage, to miss Asian Junior Championship
While Chirag Sen’s date of birth has been registered at BAI as 22 July, 1998, on the basis of the affidavit submitted by Dhirendra, Chirag’s father, the birth certificate issued by the registrar local area, birth, and death, Nagar Palika, Almora, is 11 March, 2005.
According to BAI records in 2007, Laa Talar’s date of birth is 15 November, 1998. However, since 2008, Talar claimed his date of birth to be 5 April, 1997.
Akash Yadav’s date of birth has been registered at BAI as 1 August, 2001 although a certificate, which was issued by the village panchayat office, Haibatpur, Gautam Budh Nagar, submitted by Akash mentions 5 August, 2001 as his birth date.
Although C Rahul Yadav submitted a birth certificate mentioning 12 May, 2006 as his actual age, his date of birth with BAI is 3 May, 1998. On top of this his parents claimed that his date of birth at St Paul’s High School, Hyderabad has been registered as 3 February, 1997.
BAI too has initiated action against the four players. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, BAI secretary general Vijai Sinha said on Friday, “We have informed the CBI’s sports integrity unit that we are in the process of taking suitable action against these four players, and will let them know about the action in due course.”
