A group of schoolchildren has approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to stop the conduct of outdoor sports events in the national capital during the peak pollution months of November to January, arguing that the current schedule forces young athletes to train and compete in “toxic” air.

The minors, represented through their parents, said they regularly participate in state-organised tournaments, trials and coaching camps, but are compelled each year to perform strenuous physical activity when Delhi’s air quality is at its worst.

They told the court that it is a scientifically established and judicially recognised fact that the city experiences an annual public health emergency during winter, with AQI levels frequently slipping into the “severe” and “hazardous” categories.

Despite this, the plea states, authorities continue to hold zonal, inter-zonal, state and national level sporting events at a time when children — a legally recognised vulnerable group — face the highest exposure to harmful pollutants. This, the petition argues, violates their fundamental rights.

The plea seeks a court directive to the Delhi government’s Directorate of Education and the School Federation of India Games to revise the annual sports calendar and shift all outdoor events to months with demonstrably safer air quality.

The petitioners noted that at the time of filing, Delhi was already under the GRAP-III emergency protocol and at risk of escalation to GRAP-IV. Prolonged exposure during this period, they warned, can cause “diminished lung growth”, cognitive impairment and acute cardiovascular stress in children.

They urged the court to intervene and ensure that student athletes are not forced to choose between sporting opportunities and their health.