The Delhi High Court has turned down a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that contested the employment of the name “Team India” by the cricket team governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The PIL posited that since BCCI is a private entity, it has no authority to name its team “Indian National Cricket Team” and employ national insignia like the flag.
Court Rejects PIL Seeking to Remove BCCI’s Team India
The plea, put forward by the advocate Reepak Kansal, asserted that when the public broadcasters like Doordarshan and All India Radio depict the BCCI team as representatives of India, it misinforms the public about the government granting the team official recognition.
The lawsuit further argued that the BCCI is registered in accordance with the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, and thus is not perceived as a statutory body or a government authority.
It is yet to become one of the National Sports Federations that receive government aid, though. Nonetheless, the court, with Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela at the helm, dismisses the PIL in the strongest possible terms, branding it a “sheer wastage of time.”
The judges expressed their doubts about the plea and asked, “Are you implying that the team does not represent India?”
BCCI is granted the right to prominently display the national flag
The PIL referred to loopholes under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, and the Flag Code of India, 2002, stating that the use of the national flag and name for a commercial body could ruin the purity of national symbols and give the BCCI an unjustified commercial legitimacy.
The petition further pointed out that this practice not only diminishes the country’s image but also allows the private association to gain profits in the name of the country.
The High Court, nevertheless, did not share the same view. It indicated the attorney to present improved PILs next time and threw away the issue completely, thus indirectly permitting the BCCI to retain the appellation “Team India” for its cricket team.
This decision re-establishes the BCCI’s exceptional position in Indian sports. It is a private entity that oversees the most liked sport in the country and at the same time is accredited by the fans, media, and broadcasting as the national team.
