The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has recently implemented significant changes in the age verification process to eliminate age fraud and falsification. These changes include introducing the Voluntary Age Rectification Scheme (VARS) to rectify any discrepancies in age records and ensure fair competition in the sport.
The Swachh Badminton India (SBI), a parents’ voluntary organization, has welcomed and commended the BAI’s bold initiative to eliminate age fraud in badminton. The group strongly supports the new SOP for registration and the verification of existing BAI ID, which will enable more stringent diligence processes to be designed.
At the same time, the group fully supports VARS, which gives players who have manipulated their age in the past an opportunity to correct their age and compete fairly in the future. The group urges parents, coaches, and directors of training academies who are aware of age manipulation to take advantage of the 20-day window to rectify their wards’ accurate DOB.
The consequences of not utilizing the amnesty scheme VARS could be detrimental to a player’s future career and the reputation of parents, coaches, and academies.
The SBI group will work closely with BAI to achieve its goal of eradicating the age fraud menace prevalent in junior age category tournaments across the country. The changes in the age verification process demonstrate the BAI’s determination to ensure fairness, integrity, and transparency in badminton in India.
The parents’ group lauds BAI for its proactive initiative in introducing this new age verification process and VARS. It believes that fair play is essential to the sport of badminton, and such measures will enhance the sport’s competitiveness and growth in India.
