Sports Ministry suspends TTFI over governance issues

The Union sports ministry has placed the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on suspension due to governance concerns. As a result, the federation is no longer recognized as the national sports federation for table tennis until further notice. The ministry has tasked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with overseeing Indian table tennis until the situation improves.

The federation has been found wanting in good governance, with constant disputes among administrators leading to an administrative mess, according to a source familiar with the matter. In January 2026, TTFI suspended its secretary-general, Kamlesh Mehta, accusing him of financial irregularities. Mehta challenged the decision in court and won, with the Delhi High Court overturning his suspension.

The federation is currently led by Meghna Ahlawat, the wife of former federation president Dushyant Chautala, who is a politician. Dushyant's father, Ajay Singh Chautala, also has a history of leading the body. The selection criteria employed by TTFI have been deemed unfavorable to certain talented athletes, violating the sports ministry's policy, according to a source.

This issue came to light following star paddler Manika Batra's exclusion from the Asian Games squad. Batra, currently ranked world No. 56, publicly expressed her disappointment, claiming that the federation violated its own constitution and that its selection policy was ambiguous and unfair. Batra later withdrew her complaint due to mental exhaustion.

TTFI has previously faced suspension twice in the past four years. The first suspension occurred in February 2022 after Batra's petition challenging the selection policy led to her omission from the Asian Championships. The Delhi High Court ordered the appointment of an administrator and expressed "appal" over the "sorry state of affairs" within TTFI.

The federation was reinstated in December after fresh elections. However, the issue of timely elections remains unresolved, as the sports ministry has pointed out TTFI's failure to hold elections on time and the repeated disregard of its guidelines. The ministry previously served a show-cause notice to the federation, which has yet to respond satisfactorily.