Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Eyes Constitution Of National Sports Board In Three Months

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya assured the complete implementation of the National Sports Governance Act by the end of January next year, and the constitution of the National Sports Board would be the most significant milestone in the process.

The NSB, which will have the authority to grant or withhold affiliation to federations and monitor their financial conduct as part of the Act, will be constituted by December end.

“The National Sports Board will be constituted in the next three months and the process has already been set in motion for this. Also in the works is the framing of regulations for the implementation of the act," a sports ministry source said.

ALSO READ| Saudi Arabia Confirmed As Host Of Wrestlemania 43 In The Year 2027

The act’s regulations establish criteria and principles for execution, including guidelines for granting affiliation to National Sports Federations.

The NSB will consist of a chairperson and an unspecified number of members, appointed by the central government from individuals of ability, integrity, and standing, with special knowledge or practical experience in public administration, sports governance, sports law, and related fields.

Appointments will be based on recommendations from a search-cum-selection committee led by the Cabinet Secretary. While details of other committee members are unknown, the Act requires them to have extensive experience in public and sports administration and to be national sports award recipients.

Once constituted, all National Sports Federations must seek NSB affiliation to qualify for central government funding.

The Board is authorised to de-recognise any national federation failing to hold Executive Committee elections or committing “gross irregularities in election procedures."

Failure to publish annual audited accounts or the misuse, misapplication, or misappropriation of public funds can lead to suspension from the NSB, though consultation with the relevant global body is required before proceeding.

Alongside the NSB, the National Sports Tribunal and the National Sports Election Panel are also in preliminary stages of formation.

The tribunal, with “all the powers of a civil court," aims to prevent prolonged legal entanglements in sporting matters.

It will include a chairperson and two members, with the head being a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge or the Chief Justice of a High Court.

Tribunal appointments will be made by the central government based on recommendations from a committee headed by the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by the CJI, along with the Sports Secretary and the Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Tribunal orders can only be challenged in the Supreme Court.

The election panel will consist of retired members of the Election Commission of India or State Election Commissions, or retired Chief Electoral Officers of States or Deputy Election Commissioners, with “adequate experience."

This panel will oversee the conduct of free and fair elections to the Executive Committees and Athletes Committees of sports bodies.

First Published: