CHENNAI: As India inch towards the Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year, not all seems to be well with Indian sports. Not one, but quite a few National Sports Federations are on the wrong side of the sports ministry and have been de-recognised or not getting funds. Some of them are disputed and embroiled in court cases. In short, the players are suffering because there is lack of clarity in their selection criteria for the mega events and neither is there any national tournament being organised.
In an interesting move, the sports ministry has once again stepped in and has requested the Indian Olympic Association to form an-ad hoc committee, not in one but in two NSFs. This a few days after the Delhi High Court had asked the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee and also an interim executive committee in two other NSFs. Though they are not priority sports, yet they would be sending teams to the Asian Games – handball and karate. They are the latest where the ministry has intervened and has requested the IOA to form an-ad hoc committee.
The sports ministry has already notified the National Sports Governance Act and Rules this year and all NSFs must fall in line with the provisions of both. In another interesting development, the Delhi High Court has asked the Judo Federation of India administrator to hand over charge to a newly-constituted interim executive committee of the JFI. Equestrian federation is in perpetual turmoil and the court has directed an ad-hoc committee be formed. There is problem in Softball Association of India as well.
If one federation, handball, is entangled in a long-drawn legal battle, the karate federation faces unique challenge — there are multiple bodies claiming to be legitimate. “...at present, there are multiple bodies such as All India Karate-Do Federation (AIKDF), Karate Association of India (KAI), Karate India Organisation (KIO), Karate India and karate.” Because of that there is no accountability and no clear cut policies to promote the sport.
This has reflected in their serious governance deficiencies, “including multiplicity of claimants, absence of a unified national structure, lack of institutional clarity for athletes, and uncertainty regarding conduct of national and international events”.
This also would be to avoid a situation like the one that arose in last Asian Games where the organizers did not accept entries from India. The SAI had selected the team while the World karate body had recognized Karate India Organisation. And since KIO was not part of the selection the Asian Karate Federation did not accept the entries. It needs to be seen how it pans out this time.
Ministry falls back to sports code
If anyone thought the National Sports Development Code of India (2011) is passé after the NSG Act and Rules think twice. The sports ministry has invoked clauses from the sports code to request IOA. “…without prejudice to the rights and contentions of parties in CWP No. 19665 of 2023, in the exercise of the powers under the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 (Sports Code), the Ministry, hereby, requests the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to constitute a transitory committee or Ad-Hoc Committee in consultation with the concerned International Federation, to oversee and manage the affairs of sport of Handball, including the selection of athletes and making of entries for the participation of sportspersons in international.”