Fake certificates getting ‘players’ inducted into Delhi University

On an average, over 10,000 students apply through sports quota at the Delhi University every year and close to 3000 make the cut to seek admission to one of its 80 affiliated colleges.

Given the neck to neck competition to get into one of the countries top universities, sports at the university level too should have been right up there. But that is hardly the case.

University sport is in doldrums and cases of undeserving candidates getting into DU through sports quota is further damaging the foundation.

Enterprising players have found a way to arrange for fake certificates and the Delhi University Sports Council officials aren’t too eager to cross check the merit of the certificates.

Documents in possession of the Hindustan Times reveal that some of the candidates have either furnished certificates from organisations that exist only on paper or recognised by neither the sports ministry nor the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

One of the candidate from Uttar Pradesh, his name has been withheld, has made the DU cut based on a certificate issued by an association called the All Uttar Pradesh State Sports Association. According to the certificate, he won bronze in the junior boys’ 200m at the ‘state-level’ competition held last year in Baruat in Baghpat district.

Organising track and field events in Uttar Pradesh is the prerogative of the Uttar Pradesh Athletics Association (UPAA) and its secretary PK Srivastava denied his association had organised any junior state meet in Baghpat last year.

“We didn’t approve or organise any competition in Baghpat last year,” Srivastava told Hindustan Times. “I think the certificate is fake. More than hundred such cases have come to light in the past few months,” he added.

At the trials conducted by DU, the athlete from UP got 37 out of possible 60 and on the basis of his ‘fake’ certificate, he got 21 out of 40 taking his aggregate to 58 out of 100 and made the cut.

We didn’t approve or organise any competition in Baghpat last year. the certificate is fake. More than hundred cases have come to light.