The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has suspended Joint Secretary Baljit Singh Sekhon amid outrage following official errors at the FISU World University Games in Germany. Simultaneously, AIU has formed an inquiry committee to scrutinize all records and communications related to the Indian contingent’s registration and management.

Incomplete Entry Blunder Affects Six Badminton Players
Twelve badminton players traveled to Germany. Only six got to play. The remaining (Rohan Kumar, Darshan Pujari, Aditi Bhatt, Abhinash Mohanty, Viraj Kuvale, and Alisha Khan) found their names missing from match rosters due to officials failing to submit the full team list at the July 16 managers’ meeting  .

Alisha Khan, one of those sidelined, shared her shock on Instagram:
“This is not just mismanagement, it’s career sabotage. We demand answers, accountability, and that our voices be heard. We didn’t lose a match, we lost our right to even participate.” 

Also read : “Career Sabotage” at World University Games: Indian Badminton Players Left in the Cold https://clickingtosports.com/indian-badminton-players-disqualified-world-university-games/

Darshan Pujari wrote in a letter to BAI:
“To date, there has been no accountability … A mere apology cannot suffice at this level of international representation, where the careers, dreams, and morale of athletes are at stake.” 


Sprinter Devyaniba Zala: Pay ₹2.5 Lakh, No Start Line
Separate administrative errors affected athlete Devyaniba Zala. She paid ₹2.5 lakh to represent India in the women’s 400m, but her name was removed from the final start list despite being on initial entries  .

Zala responded on Instagram:
“Heartbroken and injustice at my very first international competition. … my name … went missing … until the start list for Day‑1 came out last evening.” 

Her story highlights that the problem was not confined to badminton, A broader system failure hit athletics too.


AIU’s Response: Suspension and Committee Investigation
AIU has formally suspended Sekhon and two other officials. A four-member committee has been constituted, tasked with reviewing all correspondence, document submissions, and internal communications relating to team selection and registration at the Games  . Their report is expected within 15 days.


Reality Check: Dreams Derailed for No Fault of Athletes
Despite securing bronze in badminton and qualifying athletes in track events, India’s achievements were overshadowed by avoidable administrative failures. Athletes trained, paid fees, and followed protocol. All suffered because of systems that didn’t.

This crisis underlines one stark truth: accountability demands action, not excuses.

Also read : World University Games: Seema and Devyaniba ‘did not start’ due to negligence https://thebridge-in.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thebridge.in/amp/athletics/world-university-games-seema-devyaniba-miss-events-53951?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17532467682652&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fthebridge.in%2Fathletics%2Fworld-university-games-seema-devyaniba-miss-events-53951