High Court comes to the rescue of differently abled women athletes

Issues directions to streamline their participation in events

The Madras High Court on Monday played messiah to differently abled women athletes, who suffer from intersectionality, by issuing a set of 12 directions to the Centre and the State Governments. The orders were passed to streamline the policy on allowing participation of such athletes in State, national and international events.

Justice R. Mahadevan directed both the Governments to prevent/prohibit unfair discrimination of differently abled women athletes on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.

The judge directed the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) to provide adequate financial assistance and all other requisites to differently abled women athletes and follow a proper selection process so that eligible participants get selected for every event. They were ordered to provide necessary training and free medical facilities to all differently abled women athletes who achieve laurels in international events. They must be given all possible things required to realise their fullest potential to achieve success in sporting events, the court said. The directions were issued while allowing a writ petition filed by M. Sameeha Barvin, a Chennai-based athlete with hearing difficulties.