Ministry tells NSFs to set selection policy

National Sports Federations (NSF) will have to finalize their selection policies for mega sporting events such as Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games two years in advance and upload them on their website, according to the sports ministry's new guidelines for NSFs.

- Avishek Roy

NEW DELHI:

"Selection policy/criteria for mega sports events such as Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, Para Asian Games and Commonwealth Games should be well-publicized and uploaded on the website of the NSF at least two years in advance of the commencement of these Games," as per the instructions issued by the sports ministry to NSFs.

For other international events, selection norms should be laid down in advance, and any change, if required, should be done three months prior to the tournament.

With an aim to bring transparency and fairness in the selection process and save athletes from seeking intervention in courts across the country, the Sports Ministry has come out with comprehensive measures that will also necessitate federations to have a "grievance redressal mechanism" for "aggrieved" athletes and settle their cases within a week.

In the previous Olympic cycle, several athletes from a wide range of disciplines, including boxing, wrestling, shooting, equestrian etc., have moved courts over selection issues.

Athletes have often complained about arbitrary selection processes, delays in announcements of selection policies, and frequent changes in norms as reasons for seeking legal remedy.