Lok Sabha passes Sports Bill; Mandaviya calls it single biggest reform in sports since Independence

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the long-pending National Sports Governance Bill, which Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hailed as the “single biggest reform in Indian sports since Independence,” even as opposition members staged protests over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill was also passed when the Lok Sabha reassembled at 2 PM after an early adjournment due to opposition protests.

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“It is the single biggest reform in sports since independence. This bill will ensure accountability, ensure justice, and best governance in sports federations,” Mandaviya said.

“It will have massive significance in India’s sports ecosystem. It is unfortunate that such an important bill and reform does not have the opposition’s participation,” he added.

According to Mandaviya, the two bills mark significant reforms designed to create a “transparent, accountable and world-class sports ecosystem” in India as the nation sets its sights on hosting the 2036 Olympics.

“Efforts have been made since 1975, and in 1985, we had the first draft. But sports were also politicised for personal gains. Some ministers made efforts to bring this bill, but could not move forward.

“In 2011, we had a National Sports Code. Another effort was made to turn it into a bill. It reached the cabinet, and there was a discussion as well, but the bill was deferred after that. It did not reach Parliament,” the minister stated while presenting a timeline of the bill’s journey.

“The National Sports Bill Governance 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, and this Bill aims to build India’s sports capacity,” he added.

The sports governance bill has provisions for a National Sports Board (NSB) to create a stringent system of accountability. All National Sports Federations (NSFs) will have to attain NSB’s recognition for access to central government funding.

The NSB will have the mandate to derecognise a national body that fails to hold elections for its Executive Committee or has committed “gross irregularities in the election procedures.”