Amid age fudging, BAI to open window for age rectification

To address the age-old problem of age fudging, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday announced a Voluntary Age Rectification Scheme (VARS) for discrepancy in age records of registered players.

Under this one-time scheme, registered players who have an incorrect date of birth and/or discrepancy in their age can rectify it within a window of 20 days -- from June 6 to 25.

BAI will maintain confidentiality with the documents furnished. Players whose age is successfully rectified will have their age records updated in the BAI database and website for all purposes related to BAI recognised tournaments. The corrected information will also be furnished to the respective state association secretaries for rectifying records in the state units.

Players who rectify their records during the grace period will not attract any penalty in terms of a ban from playing in a BAI-sanctioned tournament.

“This is a one-time opportunity to rectify age discrepancies. Players who do not avail themselves of this scheme and are later found guilty of age fraud will face severe penalties, including disqualification from BAI sanctioned tournaments, two-year ban, FIR against parents and potential other disciplinary actions. We encourage all players to avail this opportunity to rectify any discrepancies and ensure their eligibility aligns with the BAI guidelines," BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said.

The BAI said if there are doubts over the players’ age in future, they will be subjected to Tanner Whitehouse 3 (TW3) or any approved medical tests at BAI authorised centres. In case players applying under VARS register false or misleading information, it will result in severe disciplinary action.

“BAI is committed to maintaining fairness and integrity within the sport. The association has taken serious note of recent age fraud complaints and instances of purported age frauds. To combat this issue and ensure a level playing field for all participants, BAI is implementing stringent measures against players found guilty of age fraud in BAI sanctioned tournaments,” Mishra added.

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