Asian Games selections were biased, made to feel unworthy in national camp, claims Panghal
New Delhi (PTI): Having dragged the national federation to the court over his non-selection in the Indian team for the Asian Games, world championships silver medallist boxer Amit Panghal alleged that he has been "demotivated" and made to feel unworthy during his time at national camp.
Panghal, the country's lone men's world championships silver medallist, has filed a writ petition in Punjab and Haryana high court along with two other boxers -- Sagar Ahlawat and Rohit Mor against the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) after being left out from the Indian squad for the continental event to be held from September 23 to October 8 in China.
"I have asked for a trial. I don't understand this new points system," Panghal, who is the reigning Asian Games light flyweight champion, told PTI on Saturday.
"Even during the world championships, the boxer selected in my weight class (Deepak) based on this system lost to the pugilist I had beaten 5-0 but they are still continuing with it." A former world number one, Panghal has medals in the all big ticket events barring the Olympics. He had defeated world championship bronze medallist Deepak Bhoria, who has been selected the 51kg weight class for the Asiad, during the Commonwealth Games trial last year.
"I have beaten him in trials before. Even in the points system I am ahead of him but at the end of the week I am somehow number 2.
"I have been demotivated in the camp, because they want to send their own people. If people around you keep saying a person is useless, you start feeling that way," he added.
The 27-year-old also claimed that there is no transparency in the new evaluation system.
"They don't tell us anything about the marking. They assessed on weight training, but I am ahead of him in that as well. But at the end of the week, I am rated below (him). I don't understand this system.
"Where they are deducting my points, where exactly my opponent is scoring, no one knows that, they don't tell us. I don't know what and how to improve." Sagar (+92kg) and Rohit (57kg) also finished second in their respective weight categories behind Sachin Siwach and Narender Berwal under BFI's selection policy respectively.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought response from the BFI as well as the Sports Ministry. The hearing for the case is scheduled for Monday and Panghal is hopeful of a favourable verdict.
"The hearing is on Monday. I think it will be in my favour as I am ahead of him in all the tests, and I have beaten him in trials before." Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar also claimed that the new system of selection is biased. "Last time there were trials (CWG). The boxer who is selected I had beaten him 5-0. Now they are doing assessment they select whoever they want. They have no procedure," he said.
The BFI, however, maintained that the new selection process was been made clear to all boxers in the camp and the same will be followed.
According to the selection policy, which has been in place since this year, boxers undergo an evaluation process for three weeks where they are judged on various parameters.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
