New Delhi, July 23
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla declared that they will first study the National Sports Governance Bill, which is set to be tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, and only after that will he express his views on it.
Sports Ministry sources revealed on Tuesday that the proposed National Sports Governance Bill 2025, expected to be tabled during the monsoon session of Parliament, will bring the BCCI under its purview. Although the BCCI is not dependent on government funding, its inclusion in the bill was widely expected, particularly given the planned participation of the Indian cricket team in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Shukla refrained from commenting on the bill before its introduction and told ANI, "We will have to study the bill after it's introduced. Only then can I express my views on it."
The BCCI is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. BCCI is responsible for overseeing all aspects of cricket in India, both domestically and internationally. As of now, the BCCI does not fall under the 45 recognised National Sports Federations. If the Indian cricket board falls under the bill's ambit, it could also be subject to the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Officials said the National Sports Governance Bill will solve problems such as frequent litigation over NSF elections and athlete selections, lack of a dedicated dispute resolution forum, weak or token athlete representation in federations, gender imbalance in sports leadership and no standard electoral process across federations.
They said it will also help tackle financial opacity and poor governance in NSFs, as well as the absence of internal grievance redressal systems. The National Sports Governance Bill aims to establish a legal framework for the transparent and fair operation of sports bodies, making athlete representation mandatory in decision-making processes.
It seeks to bring quick dispute resolution through the Sports Tribunal and ensure fair and transparent elections via the election panel. The government's role will be that of a facilitator, not a controller, the officials said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Shukla's cautious approach makes sense. We've seen how rushed policies can backfire. But I hope this bill brings more women into sports administration - cricket especially needs gender balance!
As a cricket fan, I'm worried about too much government interference. BCCI has made cricket what it is today. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies here. Let them manage their own affairs.
The dispute resolution part is much needed! Remember the recent selection controversies? This could prevent so much unnecessary drama and focus on actual sports development.
While transparency is good, I hope this doesn't become another bureaucratic hurdle. Indian cricket's success came from quick decisions and flexibility. Govt should remember their role is facilitator, not controller.
About time! Other sports federations have suffered while BCCI enjoyed special treatment. Now maybe we'll see fair distribution of resources and attention to all sports, not just cricket 🇮🇳
The Olympic angle is interesting. If this helps India win more medals by better governance across all sports, I'm all for it. Cricket can handle some regulation for national sporting glory.
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