Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Outstanding sportspersons who were not selected in the recently notified provisional selection list 2026 today raised serious concerns during a press conference held here, urging authorities to conduct an immediate and transparent review of the selection process.
Referring to Notification No JK(YSS) of 2026 dated 11.02.2026, issued by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Youth Services and Sports Department, the athletes said that the provisional selection list has been notified for five posts of Chief Coach in Gazetted cadre for the year 2022 and 217 posts of Instructor in Non-gazetted cadre for the calendar years 2014–2022.
Addressing a press conference here, the aggrieved sportspersons urged the Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council and the Youth Services and Sports Department to conduct a transparent and merit-based reassessment of the list. They maintained that their representation was not a complaint but a principled appeal to safeguard the credibility of the selection process.
The athletes stated that, as per established policy frameworks, sports disciplines must be evaluated strictly according to their official categorisation (Group A, B, C, etc.). Olympic, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games disciplines, they said, carry the highest competitive value and must not be equated with lower-category sports during evaluation.
They further stressed that a fair scoring system must reflect hierarchy and difficulty level of competitions, and alleged that category-based weightage was not properly applied. They also pointed out that medals earned within the recognized validity window of five years should be duly considered.
They demanded inclusion of qualified sports experts in evaluation committees, strict verification of federation recognition status at the time of events, uniform eligibility criteria including domicile and representation requirements and policy clarity regarding inclusion of invitational, junior and cadet international events.
Expressing hope for corrective action, the athletes urged the government to release a revised list that truly reflects merit, transparency and justice for deserving sportspersons.
The sportspersons also mentioned that they have approached the Sports Minister and several other leaders regarding the issue. They further stated that in the coming days, they plan to approach the court to seek redress for what they described as a flawed selection process.
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