The examination, conducted at Kozhikode Medical College, indicated that the student was between 15 and 18 years old, exceeding the under-14 age limit prescribed for the sub-junior category. Organisers subsequently decided to award the gold medal to the athlete who had originally finished second.
The student, who arrived in Kerala from Uttar Pradesh earlier this year, had competed in the 100 metres, 400 metres and relay events. Besides winning the 400m title, the athlete had qualified for the 100m final before the eligibility controversy prompted official intervention.
The disqualification followed complaints that the student possessed two Aadhaar cards carrying different dates of birth. The allegations prompted General Education Minister N. Samsudheen to order an investigation and direct officials to verify the athlete’s eligibility through appropriate medical procedures.
The minister had instructed the Director of General Education, Arun K. Vijayan, to examine the complaint and submit a report. He also directed the authorities to scrutinise the age credentials of participants and initiate action wherever irregularities were established.
The medical findings provided the basis for the athlete’s disqualification, although the precise date of birth was not established publicly. The reported age range was sufficient to place the student outside the permitted category, making the original 400m result invalid.
The complaint was raised by Shibi Mathew, a physical education teacher at Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam, in Ernakulam district. She questioned the athlete’s eligibility after discrepancies allegedly emerged between the dates of birth recorded on identity documents.
Mar Basil and Ideal schools had raised objections concerning the student’s participation. Their complaints focused on whether an older competitor had entered events reserved for children below 14, potentially affecting the results and opportunities available to eligible athletes.
Following confirmation of the discrepancy, Mathew welcomed the authorities’ decision to undertake medical verification. She expressed concern about the children who had competed against the disqualified athlete and thanked the government for examining the allegations.
The case has also prompted demands for similar examinations involving athletes facing age-related complaints in other competitions. Questions have been raised about eligibility in the junior boys’ 400m and 600m races and the junior boys’ long jump.
Mathew has sought bone-age examinations for competitors involved in those complaints. However, allegations concerning other participants remain separate from the confirmed violation, and no findings establishing further disqualifications have been announced.
The controversy emerged during the athletics programme at the National Institute of Technology Calicut stadium in Chathamangalam. Track and field competitions began on October 27 and are scheduled to continue until October 31.
The 68th edition of the meet, inaugurated on October 25, brings together athletes from all 14 districts. Approximately 2,800 students are participating in athletics across the sub-junior, junior and senior divisions.
The case has drawn attention to the verification procedures applied before athletes enter age-restricted competitions. School records and identity documents ordinarily form part of eligibility checks, while medical examinations can be ordered when documentary evidence is disputed.
Bone-age examinations assess skeletal development to estimate biological maturity. Such assessments provide an estimated age range rather than an exact birth date, making their interpretation particularly important when determining eligibility for tightly defined sporting categories.
(The article ‘Age verification disqualifies school meet gold medallist’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
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