New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS): The sports ministry on Friday declared the recent elections of the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) null and void. The SGFI had elected new office bearers during its annual general body meeting held in December in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

The ministry, however, rejected the SGFI request to grant annual recognition to it as a national sports federation (NSF) that oversees sports at the school level on the grounds that the National Sports Development Code 2011 guidelines were overlooked during the December elections.

The ministry in a letter to the SGFI said that the SGFI should hold the elections again as per the Sports Code.

Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who was president of the SGFI, had alleged that the SGFI secretary general Rajesh Mishra had manipulated SGFI constitution to stay in power.

Sushil had also alleged that Mishra had forged his signature to change the by-laws of the SGFI. The Olympian apprised the sports minister about the manipulation done by Mishra and the ministry took a serious view of the alleged fraud.

V Ranjith Kumar was elected the SGFI president, Alok Khare was nominated secretary general, and Mukhteh Singh the treasurer in December. Former secretary general Mishra was nominated as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The SGFI couldn't organise competitions last year due to Covid pandemic.