The Government is all set to introduce the National Sports Governance Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, which will bring the Indian cricket board under its preview along with the 45 National Sports Federations (NSFs). Once the Bill becomes law, the BCCI will have to be recognised by a proposed National Sports Board, Sports Ministry sources said.
“Like all National Sports Federations, the BCCI will have to comply with the law of the land once this Bill becomes an Act. They don’t take ministry funding but an Act of Parliament applies to them… They will remain an autonomous body like all other NSFs but their disputes, if any, will also come to the proposed National Sports Tribunal, which will become the dispute resolution body for sports matters ranging from elections to selection,” the sources said.
The move is significant because the BCCI is an autonomous sports body registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. It is not among the 45 recognized NSFs, which includes major Olympic sports and also indigenous sports like Yogasana, Kho-Kho and Atya Patya.
When contacted, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told The Indian Express: “The BCCI’s official stand is that we will wait for the Bill to be tabled in Parliament and get more details of its content. Then we will see what has to be followed.”
The BCCI has in the past refused to come under the National Sports Federation category as it doesn’t take funds from the Sports Ministry. In recent years, they have also pointed to how they have accepted the Lodha panel reforms on governance, mandated by the Supreme Court, which primarily stipulated that no office-bearer can have a tenure of more than six years at a stretch, with the maximum being nine.
Sports Ministry sources, however, said that with India making a bid to host the 2036 Olympics, the proposed Bill is aimed at bringing more transparency, athletic-centric reform and a quick resolution of disputes. Significantly, T20 cricket has also been included as a medal sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials had flagged concerns over governance issues at the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), including the doping menace and poor performances at the Olympics.
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Under the National Sports Governance Bill, the National Sports Board will be set up to oversee recognition and suspension of NSFs. The members of the Board, including a chairperson, will be appointed by the central government. The Board will also be responsible for safeguarding of athletes rights and fair and timely elections in the NSFs. In cases where federations are suspended or lose recognition, the Bill authorises the Board to appoint ad-hoc administrative bodies.
Sources, however, stressed that the Bill will not mean that the Government aims to control NSFs. “The Government only wants to ensure good governance and ethics,” they said.
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The Bill also introduces a provision to increase the upper-age cap to 75 years, from the previous 70, for an official. This means individuals between 70 and 75 may serve a full term if allowed by relevant international statutes. If the BCCI comes under the NSF umbrella, its current president Roger Binny who turned 70 on July 19, may be able to continue in his post. As per BCCI’s constitution, which was approved by the Supreme Court, no person can hold any post after turning 70. NSFs will also come under the Right to Information Act.
The Bill also proposes the formation of a separate entity called National Sports Tribunal (NST). This body will fast track and resolve conflicts between different stakeholders in the sporting ecosystem, including officials, athletes and coaches. The NST can be only challenged in the Supreme Court.
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The tribunal, however, will not have jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes arising during Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or events organised by international federations. It will also not have powers to decide on anti-doping cases for which the National Anti-Doping Agency’s independent disciplinary and appeals panel exist.
Along with the National Governance Sports Bill, the newly proposed National Anti-doping Bill is also set to be introduced Wednesday. The anti-doping Bill comes at a time when India has topped the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2023 testing figures among countries which analysed 5,000 or more samples.
(With Venkata Krishna B)
