Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, a prominent figure in sports law, is currently representing the high-profile case of Anwar Ali. Previously, he also represented celebrated Indian wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, showcasing his commitment to athletes' rights and welfare.

In a recent interview with Parallel Sports, Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra delivered a powerful critique of Indian football’s governing body, condemning its persistent misconduct and neglect toward players. Mehra highlighted not only the urgent need for accountability within the organisation but also highlighted that the governing body should take initiative to train the players about the sports law. 

When asked if controversies like Anwar Ali’s case stem from players' lack of legal knowledge, Rahul Mehra responded firmly, “This is complete high-handedness by the authorities, nothing to do with the lack of knowledge of the players. It is the arrogance of the administrators.”

While Mehra did not explicitly state that sports law should be a formal subject, he strongly advocated that understanding sports law could empower athletes and help prevent issues like those faced by Anwar Ali. He stated - “Learning is something of a lifelong process so everybody should learn. Obviously the authorities should have trainers and educate players about the law, but the point is they should educate themselves first.” 

“First of all, they take the initiative to train themselves and teach themselves the law. They are the ones who are violating the law most of the time, it’s not the players who violate the law it’s the federation who violates the law. First of all they need trainers for themselve.” 

Mehra further stated - “There are hundreds of things they (the authority) could do. Starting from having a fair agreement for the players. What they usually do is they use their power and authority, they are usually in conflict with the international federation about their own rules. They should not interpret it in a manner that is detrimental to the player rather in the favour of the player.”

To prevent misconduct, Mehra stressed the need to prioritise players in sports governance, he stated,  “Sports is for the player not meant for the administrator, administrators supposed to govern sports not the sports would govern the sports. Usually administrators are the ones who are on the wrong slide of the law so they are the ones who should educate themselves. And if they do that, half of these problems will be over. 

The Player Status Committee has postponed the Anwar Ali case hearing to November 10th. Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra is prepared and ready for the upcoming session.