The Gujarat High Court is hearing a petition filed by a young footballer who was denied participation in an upcoming Under-14 football tournament after failing the mandatory bone age test, despite his birth certificate showing he is eligible.
The player, who competed in the Under-14 category last year, challenged his exclusion from practice sessions and team selection. Under the tournament rules, eligibility is based on a skeletal bone age assessment using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method, rather than the date of birth mentioned on a birth certificate.
According to the football association, the player’s official bone age test conducted in 2024 indicated that his biological age was above the Under-14 limit. The player’s family later submitted private medical reports claiming he falls within the eligible age and requested the court to order a fresh independent bone age test.
During the hearing, Justice Nirzar S. Desai observed that the issue was not the player’s talent but his biological age, remarking, “No one doubts your skill, everyone doubts your age.”
The court noted that tournament organisers are entitled to set eligibility rules based on biological age and that the judiciary cannot interfere with such policies unless legally justified.
The player’s lawyer sought interim relief to allow him to attend practice sessions, but the court declined, noting that the selection process would likely be completed before the matter could be fully heard.
The High Court has, however, issued a notice to the football federation seeking its response and fixed the next hearing for August 3, 2026. The player’s legal team may then seek a court-ordered independent bone age assessment.