Sports activist and former national table tennis player Yatharth Pandya has sent a legal notice to the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) after it failed to put into effect the National Code against Age Fraud in Sports (NCAAFS), mandated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2010. 

In his legal notice, Pandya accuses the TTFI of negligence in implementing key measures outlined under the NCAAFS. These include the failure to conduct mandatory medical examinations and issue age-verification ID cards for athletes. The notice states that such lapses have led to favoritism, compromised fair play, and deprived deserving athletes of their rightful opportunities to compete.

Yatharth speaking over the phone explained, “Age fraud compromises the integrity of sports and denies genuine talent their rightful opportunities. It is a grave injustice for any sports federation to disregard mandatory rules that protect fairness and transparency. Huge numbers of potential young table tennis players across the country are often victims due to the age fraud system going on throughout the country. That is why I decided to move to the court on the issue.” 

He added, “This legal action is a step toward holding TTFI accountable and ensuring a level playing field for athletes.” 

The legal notice gives the TTFI 10 days to respond with corrective measures being implemented to comply with the NCAAFS. Pandya revealed he would move to Supreme Court if TTFI fails to reply to his legal notice.

However, the TTFI secretary could not be contacted for his reaction on the issue.