New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the youth affairs and sports ministry on directing all the sports federations to hold their elections if they were due.

The ministry has to direct all the sports bodies to hold elections whose elections were due, said the court.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw sought the response of the ministry within two weeks and decided to next hear the matter May 9.

The court's direction came after petitioner Rahul Mehra alleged that Archery Association of India president V.K. Malhotra was reluctant to organise elections to the sports body as his candidature will be rejected under the new age and tenure criteria.

Elections of the Archery Association of India were due since March and Malhotra had been holding the post of president since 1978, he petitioner said.

Meanwhile, the court granted two more weeks to Suresh Kalmadi, president of Indian Olympic Association, to file reply on the show cause notice issued by it.

The court earlier issued show cause notice asking Kalmadi whether he would quit the post - which he has been holding for around 18 years. (IANS)