- By Aditi Priya Singh
- Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:35 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Top 10 Indian Athletes Accused Of Age Fraud: In Indian sports, age fraud has been a significant problem. Numerous athletes have been accused of fabricating their birth certificates to play in minor divisions. It compromises the fairness of competition and provides unfair advantages. The ongoing age fraud case of badminton player Lakshya Sen is one of the most famous examples. According to the charges, his birth year was changed to be eligible for junior events.
Top 10 Indian Athletes Who Were Accused Of Age Fraud
Over the years, similar charges have been made against many different athletes, such as badminton players, football players, and cricket players. Here is the list of top 10 Indian athletes who were accused of age fraud are listed below.
1. Lakshya Sen
Lakshya Sen, an Indian badminton star, was charged with age fraud in December 2022 after coach M. Goviappa Nagaraja filed a complaint, claiming that Sen had fabricated his birth certificates to appear younger and participate in junior competitions.
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2. Chirag Sen
Lakshya Sen’s elder brother Chirag Sen was also accused of age fabrication, which first arose in the early 2010s. It claims that both brothers falsified their birth certificates to participate in age-restricted badminton competitions were at the heart of the dispute,.
3. Nitish Rana
In 2015, 22 cricket players, including Nitish Rana, who was playing for Delhi in age-group competitions had their birth dates found to be inconsistent. Due to their age fudging, these 22 players were banned by the BCCI. Nitish Rana was also suspended, even though he played for the senior Delhi team; his case is still pending. Nonetheless, Nitish Rana will represent the KKR club in the IPL. But for ₹4.20 crore, the Rajasthan Royals acquired him for the 2025 IPL.
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4. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a left-handed batter from Bihar, was recently chosen by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 crore, making him the youngest crorepati in IPL history. After Vaibhav Suryavanshi got 67 runs from 36 well in the U-19 Asia Cup, Pakistani cricketer Junaid Khan accused him of age fraud. However, according to his father, Vaibhav's age was verified via a bone test.
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5. Manjot Kalra
Known for his game-winning century in the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup final, the cricket player was charged with age fraud in June 2019. Authorities claimed that to qualify him for junior tournaments, his parents had fabricated his birth year. Due to these accusations, Kalra was suspended from the Ranji Trophy for a year in January 2020. However, the judgement was later reversed.
6. Sutirtha Mukherjee
Sutirtha Mukherjee (Image: Instagram)
Sutirtha Mukherjee, a female table tennis player from West Bengal, was banned for a year in 2016 when the Table Tennis Federation of India discovered inconsistencies in her age documents. She produced falsified paperwork to engage in underage categories, according to investigations.
7. Rasikh Salam
In June 2019, cricket player Rasikh Salam of Jammu and Kashmir was charged with age fraud. He was suspended when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) discovered inconsistencies in his birth certificates. He was banned from representing the Mumbai Indians in the 2019 IPL season. But after serving his punishment, the fast bowler eventually went back to playing professional cricket and resumed his career with fresh determination.
8. Ankeet Bawne
Cricketer Ankeet Bawne was removed from India's Under-19 team in September 2011 because of inconsistencies in his age documents. His passport stated September 1, 1992, whereas the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) claimed December 17, 1992, as his birthdate. His expulsion from the team was the result of this inconsistency.
9. Prince Ram Niwas Yadav
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned Delhi cricketer Prince Ram Niwas Yadav in December 2019 for age fraud. He stated that he was born on December 12, 2001. But according to a BCCI investigation, he passed his Class 10 test in 2012, proving that his true birthdate was June 10, 1996. He was banned from all domestic cricket competitions for two years as a result of this disparity.
10. Shivam Mavi
Indian cricketer Shivam Mavi was also accused of age fraud at the beginning of 2020. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was tasked by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) with looking into his matter further. Given that different athletes were treated differently for comparable offences, this case brought to light irregularities in how age differences are handled.
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