Cricket | National Sports Governance Act: 'Would like BCCI to hold upcoming elections as per new act'

The Sports Ministry on Thursday expressed its preference for the upcoming BCCI elections, scheduled in September, to be conducted under the newly passed National Sports Governance Act.

However, it clarified that if the detailed rules of the legislation are not notified in time, the cricketing body can go ahead with the polls under the Supreme Court-approved Lodha Committee recommendations.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"Ideally the elections should be held as per the act but in case the rules are not notified in time, they may go ahead as per Lodha Committee recommendations," a ministry source told PTI.

"Once the rules are notified, all NSFs, including the BCCI, will have to hold elections as per its norms."

The ministry is aiming for the bill’s complete implementation within six months but intends to notify its guidelines and regulations much earlier. The development assumes significance as the tenure of BCCI President Roger Binny has ended upon him turning 70. While the Lodha Committee recommendations cap the age of an office-bearer at 70, the new act permits those aged up to 75 to contest, provided their international federation allows it.

The ICC has no age restrictions in its statutes.The BCCI elections are due in the last week of September when the Board convenes its Annual General Meeting. No interim president has been announced so far.Meanwhile, the ministry maintained a cautious stance on the controversial Boxing Federation of India elections, which were held amid a court battle over constitutional amendments. "We have already told the Delhi High Court that we do not think that the procedure followed in the conduct of these elections is right.

We will wait now and see what the court says," the source said. The next hearing is on September 23.On a different note, the ministry lauded the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, which bans real money gaming, terming it a major step to curb “serious social, financial, psychological and public health harm.”The ministry also responded to a Parliamentary Committee report that flagged underfunding in SAI and inefficiencies in Khelo India. "If there are shortcomings, they will be addressed," the source assured.