The National Sports Governance Bill 2025 passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday is a landmark moment in India’s sporting history, with its establishment looking to bring about transparency and accountability into the National Sports Federations (NSFs).
With India looking to bid for the 2036 Olympics, the National Sports Governance Bill will bring the country’s sports federations under one umbrella and ensure sports ethics, better administrative functioning and a dispute redressal mechanism, safeguarding athletes’ interests through a standardised National Sports Board (NSB).
The Bill is aimed at galvanising the Indian sporting ecosystem and landscape with the strength to perform at a world-class level at international events, especially at the biggest spectacle of them all—the Olympics.
It is understood that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will also be coming under the ambit of the Bill despite it not receiving government funding. With all of the BCCI’s ongoing and future legal disputes set to come under the purview of the proposed National Sports Tribunal, a new era of sports governance is upon us, and it is only a case of better late than never.
In a country beset with administrative bickering and apathy in sports bodies, the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 is a whiff of fresh air. The way forward is through accountability and transparency, and the Bill, as referred to by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, is the single biggest reform in Indian sports since Independence.
Reform in Indian sports is well and truly the need of the hour, with the highest standards of professionalism needed in India’s sports federations for the country to soar high in the international arena and at the Olympics.
The issue of recurring litigation in elections of NSFs and athlete selections is one of the areas where the Bill can provide redressal and tackle challenges. It also fills in the void of a dedicated dispute resolution body that is sorely required in the current Indian sports administrative system.
A core area where the Bill can be fruitful is in the representation of athletes in governing bodies that will infuse professionalism and best practices of good governance.
Gender imbalance in leadership roles is an acute issue when it comes to sports governing bodies in the country, and the Bill will plug in the loopholes in that aspect by ensuring relatively fairer gender parity in leadership positions. Financial mismanagement is a common practice in several sports bodies; the Bill will sternly deal with this matter using the provisions that can be used to provide redressal.
Sporting events that get delayed by cases lying in courts are another issue, and the Bill will provide some relief to such events within the legal framework of the Bill. Last, but not least, the Bill will hopefully address the issue of non-uniformity in electoral processes by bringing in a good deal of consistency and transparency in the process. The passing of the Bill is a huge moment for Indian sports governance, but only time will show its effectiveness.
