Delhi HC to hear on Oct 20 footballer's plea against being barred after heart diagnosis

New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday said that it will hear on October 20 a plea filed by a footballer, who has represented the country in international tournaments but was barred to play after being diagnosed with Apcial Hypercardio Myopathy.
Anwar Ali, a footballer who has represented the country at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 has challenged a letter dated September 7 written by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to Mohammedan Sporting Club whereunder the federation directed the Club not to allow the petitioner to train with the team due to the diagnosis of a congenital heart condition.
During the course of the hearing, advocate Premtosh Mishra, appearing for the AIFF, told a single-judge bench of Justice Navin Chawla that Ali was a brilliant player and represented the country but there is a risk to his life if he is allowed to play.
AIFF counsel said that he can appear before AIFF's Sports Medical Committee.
Ali's counsels Amitabh Tewari and Abhimanyu Tewari sought that till the consideration of the medical committee, Ali should be permitted to re-join the team till then so that he can continue his game after he is able to play. The court said that his request can be considered by the club itself keeping facts related to the matter in mind.
In his plea, Ali said that it has violated the fundamental right of the petitioner to earn his livelihood and practice his profession due to the diagnosis of a congenital heart condition called Apcial Hypercardio Myopathy.
The court was hearing Anwar Ali's plea seeking the quashing of the letter dated September 7 and prohibiting the respondent Sports Medical Committee of the All India Football Federation from proceeding with the matter currently pending before it.
He sought directions to the respondents AIFF and its medical committee not to pass any order without complying with the principles of natural justice in letter and spirit. Ali also sought direction to the respondents to screen or test all players in all AIFF competitions for HCM.
The plea said that the proceedings before the respondent is completely without jurisdiction, arbitrary, whimsical, malicious and in complete violation of principles of natural justice.
"The Petitioner has filed the instant Writ Petition challenging the Impugned Letter and the Proceedings pending before Respondent No.2 as the same is being done in a bid to take away the right to earn a livelihood of the petitioner in a completely opaque, whimsical and arbitrary manner without following any rules, regulations or due procedure," the plea said.
"Due to the baseless and illegal proceedings and the Impugned letter, the petitioner has not been allowed to play or train with the Club and furthermore he is still not registered with the Respondents in order to play the official tournaments," it added. (ANI)