Former cricket captain Azharuddin fighting for badminton now!

Newly-appointed Delhi Badminton Association president Mohammad Azharuddin feels Badminton Association of India has declared DBA a defunct body based on "lame excuses" and said the city's shuttlers would be affected because of federation politics.

"BAI doesn't have any reason to defunct DBA. These are all lame excuses. We have followed everything, there has been communication with the BAI about our affairs. It is against the sports charter. They haven't sent us any notice or gave DBA any hearing. It is injustice," Azharuddin said in New Delhi.

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"It doesn't augur well for sports. If someone doesn't like another face and float another association, it can happen all over India. It is not right. DBA has done no wrong and they have to recognise us," he added.

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The former Indian cricket captain further said, "You cannot just stop players like that. The main purpose of federation is to run the game smoothly and and make sure players are comfortable. At the end of the day, players will bring name to them and not otherwise. Or else the players will suffer."

The BAI had declared DBA as 'defunct' without disaffiliating it, citing that the state association didn't follow election norms in 2010 and it had not legally elected office-bearers as per its own constitution.

"This is not good for the sport. I am not here to fight or threaten anybody. DBA and BAI has the same intention and should work together," said Azharuddin, who took over from former president Vinod Dhawan early this month.

BAI wants DBA to send them a list of its districts which it can verify. It also wants the state association to hold elections in the presence of BAI and Government observers.

BAI has given its affiliation to Delhi Capital Badminton Association (DCBA) during its Executive committee meeting on April 27 and ever since the DBA has been in a judicial battle with the governing body.

The Sports Ministry has also asked for a detailed report from the BAI on its decision to grant recognition to DCBA without issuing notice or cancelling recognition of DBA.

Azharuddin, who had almost contested for the president's post in BAI in June 2010 before backing off at the last minute, said: "We will take a wait and watch policy. The case is in Delhi High Court and we are waiting for the court's decision and also the BAI's reply to ministry. After that we will do something about it."

BAI said according to the copy of the registered DBA constitution available with them, the DBA had not followed its own election norms in 2010 but S P Singh, who has been the secretary of DBA since 2006, said that the BAI was holding a copy of its constitution of 1979.

"They are holding a 1979 copy of our constitution. We had amended our constitution in 2002 to be in line with BAI. If BAI were not happy with our functioning, they should have sent us a show cause notice and given us 15 days time to explain our stand but they didn't," Singh said.

"During the conduct of India Super Series, they didn't approach us. On the contrary, they alleged that we have sought money from them. We have filed an  RTI regarding it but still no reply," he added.

BAI also had said that it was not officially informed about Azharuddin taking over as the president by DBA.

However, Singh said: "It was not binding on state associations to inform the BAI. But we have been exchanging letters with them."

Early this month, the DBA had announced its state ranking championship from July 24, but soon the DCBA too named its Delhi State championship from July 22, which has put the players in a fix.