HC refuses to lift stay on state ice hockey team selection ahead of Khelo India Winter Games, slams ‘chalta hai’ trials
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed an interim plea seeking to lift the stay on the selection of Maharashtra’s ice hockey team for the Khelo India Winter Games 2026, criticising the “chalta hai” attitude after trials were held on tiles instead of an ice rink.
The Bombay High Court declined to lift the stay on Maharashtra’s ice hockey team selection, calling out flawed trials conducted on tiles rather than an ice rink. (Representative image)
In a setback to Maharashtra’s ice hockey team currently in Leh, Ladakh, for the Khelo India Winter Games 2026, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed an interim application seeking to vacate the stay on the selection of 19 players.
The High Court had last week stayed the selection after expressing shock over trials being conducted on rough tiles instead of an ice rink.
“You need to put your house in order. This is happening because of what is famously called the ‘chalta hai’ attitude. Ultimately, what has happened is sports get defeated. The state is not represented by those worthy of selection, only because somebody refuses to go to the rink,” the judges orally remarked to sports authorities.
“In a case before us, neither practice match was played, nor did any selected candidate step on the ice hockey rink available at a Pune mall. The selections were carried out on roller skates with ice hockey sticks without using the puck, a striker used on a smooth ice rink. Selection of 19 players was conducted on a single day (January 13) without even actually participating in practice match,” a bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Abhay J Mantri observed on Wednesday.
When the applicant’s lawyer argued that selections are not conducted on ice rinks in Maharashtra and some other states due to non-availability, the judges responded sharply: “If we cannot afford an ice rink, do not play the game then. If there was a rink available, you should have at least made an attempt to get an idea. It makes a world of difference. And therefore we do not get medals as we practice in this way and have to actually compete in another way.”
The Khelo India Winter Games began in Leh on January 20, with the ice hockey tournament commencing on Wednesday. Maharashtra’s team is scheduled to play a match on Thursday, January 22.
The bench said interim applicant Prashant Rajaram Chavan, one of the 19 selected players, who claimed to be the authorised signatory of the Ice Hockey Association of Maharashtra (ICAM), was not an elected office-bearer of the body, and his plea could not be entertained on that ground.
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On January 17, while hearing a plea filed by ice hockey players from Sangli and Pune challenging the selection process, the bench had pulled up the sports authority for selecting all 19 players while excluding 20 national-level players who had earlier participated in the Khelo India Winter Games.
The court had noted that the “most shocking factor” was the decision to ignore the ice hockey rink at Phoenix Millennium Mall in Wakad, Pune district, and instead conduct the selection on rough tiles using roller skates at the SMT Skating Sports facility in Nigdi, Pune.
On Wednesday, senior advocate Surel Shah, appearing for the interim applicant, sought urgent vacation of the stay, citing that Maharashtra’s match was scheduled for Thursday and the team had been barred by the court order, leaving the state unrepresented.
Shah argued that as per the instructions of the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Maharashtra, the 19 players were tested for stamina and balance on inline roller skates at the skating facility prior to selection. He added that they were to be sent to Leh on January 17 to practise on an ice rink ahead of the tournament. Internationally, he said, roller skate tests precede six months of ice rink practice, including matches.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
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Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
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