The long-standing contention between the players and the federation unfurled a new chapter on September 26, 2023, when BFI issued a notice, instructing players to refrain from participating in private tournaments. BFI also labeled the Elite Pro 3×3 League (EP3L) as an “unauthorized basketball tournament.”
The circular not only served as a caution but also strongly discouraged player engagement, further asserting that participation could even lead to suspensions for the players.
It further alleged “vested interests” on the part of tournament organizers, accusing them of pursuing commercial gains at the expense of the sport’s integrity. The BFI vowed to take “stringent action” against those responsible, including those playing the game.
Image credit: TOI Special arrangements
The players contend that the circular is “illegal, arbitrary, and infringes upon their fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India. It also violates the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.” They seek to have the circular quashed and set aside.
In response to the petition, filed through their legal team at Krida Legal by the affected players on December 20, the Delhi High Court issued notice to respondents, including BFI.
Image credit: TOI Special arrangements
This is not the first time BFI have discouraged players from participating in private tournaments. Speaking exclusively to TimesofIndia.com, a petitioner, on the condition of anonymity, recounted the challenges faced by players back in 2015 when the UBA Pro Basketball League was held for the first time in India.
“When the UBA Pro Basketball League started in India, players were getting paid a good amount of money. But BFI were creating issues for the players back then by suspending the players and sending letters asking them not to play,” the player said.
Another petitioner, who has observed multiple instances of BFI intervening to prevent players from taking part in the private leagues, emphasized, “BFI have been against these leagues since way back when UBA was there. At that time, they banned players from playing in the national championship.
“There was one more tournament, a 3×3 tournament organized by a different company. They stopped us from playing and said that if we participated in the tournament, they would take action against us,” he further added.
Despite the circular underlining BFI’s stance on the matter, scepticism arises among the athletes who find it difficult to accept that labeling the league as “unauthorized” remains the governing body’s sole justification for why the players should not be allowed to play in the private leagues.
“Other sports are organizing tournaments. Only basketball has fallen behind just because our federation is not supporting us. They should support us, but they are not for unknown reasons. It’s basketball’s loss at the end of the day,” lamented one petitioner discouraged by BFI’s recent notice.
While BFI advocates for its own leagues, the hoopsters continue to express dissatisfaction with the management of the federation-run tournaments and the treatment meted out to them. Providing insights into the tournaments organized by BFI, another petitioner disclosed, “During tournaments, the accommodation, management, and food provided are quite substandard. You would not feel that athletes could stay in those kinds of places and eat those foods. There is no proper management, be it a national-level tournament, state, or district.”
“When we play nationals, there are teams that don’t even get train reservations, national players travel sitting in front of the train toilets. In India, there are players who can’t even afford shoes. Because of that, they are not able to continue playing basketball,” another petitioner told TimesofIndia.com.
The legal battle is set for its hearing on April 2, 2024. Meanwhile, the court has granted the petitioners the liberty to seek appropriate relief if any disciplinary action is initiated against them during this interim period.
The players are optimistic that the court’s final judgment will yield positive outcomes for them. A petitioner urged the federation to prioritize the welfare of its players.
“We want the federation to look out for the welfare of players and always put the players first before everything else. So the players, instead of focusing on playing and training and looking out for their careers, don’t have to worry about the federation,” a player said.
“Everyone should be free to play their game. There is no need to ban anyone. If we want basketball to grow in India, we need to promote these private leagues rather than restricting them. We have a lot of promise, but players need support to grow,” another player added.