Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen is caught in an age fraud controversy. Reports are claiming that his real age was misrepresented during his junior-level tournaments. This allegedly gave Lakshya an unfair advantage over his competitors. However, Sen’s family and coaches have denied all the allegations. On February 19, 2025, the Karnataka High Court rejected petitions from Sen and others asking to cancel the FIR against them. Justice M.G. Uma said there was enough initial evidence for an investigation, pointing to documents obtained through the Right to Information Act that supported the accusations.
However, on February 25, 2025, the Supreme Court stepped in and temporarily blocked the High Court’s order, giving Sen some relief. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran put a hold on any action against the petitioners and asked for further arguments. The next hearing is set for April 16, 2025.
Age fraud in sports is not something new. Many athletes in India have faced similar accusations in the past. Particularly in sports where younger players have an edge. Let’s recall similar cases from the past :
Manju Rani
Rising boxing star Manju Rani was once accused of lowering her age to compete in junior tournaments. The age fraud accusation controversy put a question mark on her achievements. However, she later proved herself at the senior level.
Gaurav Dhiman
A promising cricketer, Gaurav Dhiman , who was once considered a future cricket-star. However, during his junior cricket days age fraud allegations surfaced. The controversy badly affected his career, and he eventually faded away before reaching the international stage.
Jitender Kumar
Jitender Kumar, a talented Indian wrestler, who was accused of age fraud in his junior years. Although he later found success at the senior level, but the accusation left a mark on his early reputation as player.
Gourav Mukhi
Gourav Mukhi became famous after scoring a goal in the Indian Super League at just 16. However, an investigation later revealed that he was much older than claimed. He was suspended from the team. Later on, the case raised serious concerns about age fraud in Indian football.
Tajinder Singh
A talented sprinter, Tajinder Singh was found guilty of age fraud in national championships. As a result, he was disqualified, because of which missed his chances of making it big at the senior level.
Age fraud remains a serious problem in Indian sports fraternity. Despite stricter verification rules, we often come across such cases. The Lakshya Sen controversy is yet another reminder that stronger regulations are needed to ensure fair play and honest competition.