HC orders Nagpur University to allow mini golf team in national sports meet

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday instructed Nagpur University to incorporate its mini-golf team in the forthcoming All India Inter-University Championship scheduled later this month in Rajasthan.

A division bench comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi issued the directive whilst hearing a writ petition filed by mini-golf player Saurabh Pise and nine other student-athletes. The petitioners had contested the university's decision to exclude mini-golf from its catalogue of officially sanctioned sporting disciplines for the current academic year.

The university's sports board had in a December 10, 2024 meeting resolved to exclude mini-golf, along with roller skating, woodball, floorball, wushu, and Greco-Roman wrestling, from inter-college and inter-university events. This decision, subsequently ratified by the board, left numerous students without an opportunity to participate in national-level competitions.

The All India Inter-University Championship, hosted by Jagdishprasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, is slated to commence on April 23.

Acknowledging the urgency, the high court directed NU's Director of Physical Education and Sports to conduct selection trials and finalise the team.

"Considering the limited time available, the university is directed to complete the process and ensure the team's entry is confirmed before the host university's deadline," the bench remarked.

The petitioners, represented by counsel Akshay Sudame, contended that the university's exclusion of mini-golf was arbitrary and lacked transparency. They emphasised that mini-golf remains an officially recognised sport by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), and that denying participation would impede the students' sporting careers and exposure.

The court concurred that students should not be deprived of competitive opportunities due to administrative decisions and instructed the university to ensure their participation this year.