Supreme Court Halts Goa Weightlifting Coach Selection Amid Bias Allegations

The Supreme Court has intervened in the selection process for a weightlifting coach under the Sports Authority of Goa, following allegations of bias leveled by a female candidate. The candidate claimed that her former coach, against whom she had lodged a harassment complaint, was involved in the recruitment as an examiner, thereby jeopardizing the process's fairness.

A bench led by Justices Pankaj Mithal and K V Viswanathan has issued notices to the relevant sports body and others, while halting the process until further notice. The Goa government, upon reviewing her complaint, had earlier agreed to redo parts of the test with independent evaluators. However, the Bombay High Court countermanded this decision, leading to the current legal challenge.

The recruitment entailed a multi-tiered evaluation, originally advertised in February 2024, featuring physical, skill, and written tests. The petitioner alleged bias during the skill test, as her scores fell below the qualifying mark, while her competitor exceeded it, raising questions about the examination's integrity and fairness.

(With inputs from agencies.)