A vote for sports reforms in India! Lok Sabha passes legislation aimed at reforming NSFs’ administration; Anti-doping bill also clears Lower House test | More sports News
New Delhi: The two proposed legislations aimed at reforming Indian sports administration and ensuring fair play – National Sports Governance Bill 2025 and National Anti-Doping (amendment) Bill 2025 – were passed in the Lok Sabha by a ‘voice vote’ on Monday amid Opposition’s protests over the SIR drive in Bihar by the poll panel.The passage of the two bills witnessed high drama as Opposition members, who were out on the streets protesting the electoral drive in Bihar, returned to the Lower House and started raising slogans while union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya spoke in favour of the legislations.Some members demanded that the sports governance bill be referred to the parliamentary committee on sports — chaired by Digvijaya Singh — for further examination and discussion before its enactment into law. Amidst the sloganeering, Sandhya Ray – who was in the Chair at the time – put the bills to a voice vote, which were later passed as the BJP-led National Democratic Allowance (NDA) enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha.The two bills will be tabled and put up for a vote after discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Since the ruling alliance enjoys a majority in the Upper House as well, the bills are likely to be passed. Sources informed TOI that the two legislations will be sent for the President’s assent later in the evening and a gazette notification will follow soon, enacting the bills as an Act.
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“The sports governance bill is the single biggest reform in sports since independence. This bill will ensure accountability, ensure justice and best governance in sports federations. Currently, even minor issues within sports organisations often lead to governance-related disputes, many of which end up in courts.At present, there are over 350 court cases in the country related to sports. There is a lack of transparency in the elections and functioning of sports federations. In many instances, instead of prioritising the interests of sports, individuals or groups pursue their personal agendas. As a result, India lagged behind in sports, and we fell short in medal tallies at platforms like the Olympics,” Mandaviya said in his address to the Lok Sabha.“In 10 years, we have to reach the top-10 in sports in the world and in the top-five in 2047. The bill is a force of change. Despite being such a large country, our performance at the Olympic Games and on the international stage has not been satisfactory. This bill aims to build India’s sports capacity,” the minister added, underlining that 65 percent of India’s population was below 35 years of age, and the youth needed to be trained and encouraged to win medals for the country.The sports governance bill aims to “provide for the development and promotion of sports, welfare measures for sportspersons, ethical practices based on basic universal principles of good governance, ethics and fair play of the Olympic and sports movement, the Olympic Charter, the Paralympic Charter, international best practices and established legal standards and for the resolution of sports grievances and sports disputes in a unified, equitable and effective manner and for matters connected therewith”.The anti-doping (amendment) bill provides greater operational independence to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), as prescribed by WADA. The contentious National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports has been retained but it would no longer have the NADA appeals panel under its jurisdiction as was the case in the original act passed in 2022. NSFs/administrators that could be affectedRoger Binny (BCCI president): He has turned 70 (DOB 19 July 1955) in 2025. Clause 4(2)(e) bars the 70+individuals nomination unless international rules permit 70–75. That places Binny squarely in the at-risk bucket. BCCI’s choice to come under NSB recognition would trigger election panel/RTI exposure to its operations.Bahadur Singh Sagoo (Athletics Federation of India president) : AFI leadership shifts show how termlimits and cooling-off are enforced in practice. The bill would formalise what sport codes already do. (Clause 4(2)(b)) directs AFI must comply with athlete commissions, ethics, RTI, and term limits. If former presidents served multiple terms, cooling-off rules could bar immediate returns.Kalyan Chaubey (All India Football Federation president) : AIFF leadership will be affected by election panel oversight, athlete representation, and RTI. The bill aims to end court-driven stays that previously stalled AIFF elections. Chaubey’s role and any contested factionalism would be resolved under the tribunal/national sports bill route rather than prolonged litigation. AIFF’s prior litigation and international interfaces make it sensitive to NSEP. The bill reduces litigation-delay tactics that previously benefited incumbents.Rajeev Shukla (BCCI vice president) : Main exposure: term limits/electionpanel/EC cap could change leadership dynamics. If he assumes presidentship (as media has speculated), the age rule may not apply immediately but holding previous positions in the BCCI’s EC may act as factors.Boxing Federation of India (BFI) : BFI has experienced normalisation episodes previously: ad-hoc rules, ethics and athlete safeguarding measures will increase oversight risk for incumbent administrators. (Clauses 11, 12, 13). Boxing has high athlete-welfare stakes; normalisation pathway could be used if more oversight and governance failures occur.Clauses that matter the most● Age cap/international exception: No person shall be more than 70 years on the last date of nomination; persons 70–75 may contest only if allowed by International Charters/ bye-laws. (Clause 4(2)(e)).● Term limits/cooling-off: President// secretary/treasurer — up to three consecutive terms, then mandatory cooling-off of one term. (Clause 4(2) (b)).● EC composition & quotas: Executive Committee capped at 15 members, minimum four women, at least two sportspersons of outstanding merit + two athlete commission members. (Clause 4(1) (b), (i–ii)).● RTI/public authority: Recognised sports organisations will be public authorities under the RTI Act for functions under the bill (increases public transparency). (Clause 15(2)).● Election oversight/roster: NSEP to oversee polls (clause 16) which reduces scope for engineered local election formats.● Normalisation/ad-hoc body: If the recognition suspended, the Board/ NOC can appoint an ad-hoc administrative body (max five eminent administrators, no conflict of interest). (Clause 11(2)– (5)).
