Sports Bill not intervention from government: Minister

The National Sports Governance Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Aimed at bringing reforms in sports administration and making sports bodies transparent, the bill was cleared in the Lok Sabha on Monday and all set to be notified as an act.

- Avishek Roy

This is the first time that a legislation on sports has been framed in the country. Until now, the National Sports Code, 2011, along with various court orders on good governance, provided the legal framework for the national sports federations. However, it has long been felt that a single, comprehensive law, binding on all sports federations, is needed to streamline governance and bring transparency. The bill has divided opinions. Critics of the National Sports Governance bill have pointed out that the legislation is an attempt by the government to take ‘control’ of the federations which are ‘autonomous’ bodies and owe their allegiance to international federations and Olympic charter.