Finally on the road to a sporting chance

GoI is finally focusing its attention to ensure national sports federations serve to promote their sport and athletes rather than become a hindrance. The draft National Sports Governance Bill 2024 focuses on building institutional capacity and governance standards for national sports federations. The aim is to build a modern, flexible and empowered sports administration aligned with Olympic and Paralympic charters.

This was a much-needed regulatory intervention, considering the controversies over sexual harassment, favouritism, opaqueness and misgovernance that have dogged a range of federations. The Bill emphasises compliance with ethical and financial standards, and oversight to guarantee that every federation meets and maintains them while promoting their sport and ensuring welfare of sportspersons. Provisions for gender balance, focus on addressing sexual harassment, doping, added transparency provisions, and participation of athletes can improve the functioning of the federations and have a salubrious impact on sporting performance. The proposed framework will align Indian sports governance with global best practices. India's aim to bid for the 2036 Olympics is clearly the driver for this Bill.

Robust governance hinges as much on structures as it does on the people who make up the institution. Sports federations must not be treated as sinecure for retired bureaucrats and politicians. Nor should sportspersons view these jobs as their right. Safeguards are necessary to ensure that proposed tenure relaxations don't deepen the current spoils system. Without this, the provision allowing anyone over 25 to contest for the executive committee is unlikely to bring in professionals or encourage wider participation in decision-making.