CHENNAI: In its bid to ensure full implementation of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, the sports ministry on Monday allowed national sports federations (NSFs), whose elections are scheduled to be held in the coming months, to defer the polls up to December 31, 2026. The relaxation was given to allow the NSFs enough time to comply with the provisions of the Act.
Elections of the All India Football Federation, Hockey India and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) are the most-awaited polls scheduled in the next year. Going by the fresh directives issued by the ministry, the existing executive committees of the abovementioned bodies can continue till the end of 2026. But the bigger question will be how the International Olympic Committee and International Federations perceive this move and whether it will be deemed as interference by the government.
"Compliance requirements under NSG Act, 2025 necessitate adequate preparation time for NSFs to establish robust electoral structure and procedures, and alignment of the Constitution/Bye-laws of NSFs with the NSG Act. In accordance with the provision of the NSG Act, 2025, every NSF will be required to undertake appropriate measures to restructure its general body and to ensure that all their voting members and affiliate units are fully aligned with the provisions of the NSG Act, 2025," read a letter sent to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and all NSFs by the sports ministry.
The ministry, in the letter, admitted that changes as prescribed by the NSG Act, 2025 cannot be implemented in the limited timeframe available to the NSFs, who are scheduled to go into polls soon. "The Ministry has reviewed the election schedules of the NSFs and found that implementation of changes is foundational in nature and it may be difficult to complete these changes effectively within the limited timeframe available to NSFs whose elections are due in the coming months. In order to facilitate the smooth transition under the new governance framework as also to allow adequate time for implementation of the statutory requirements under the NSG Act, 2025 by the NSFs, it has been decided that those NSFs, whose elections are scheduled to be held in the coming months, except the cases where there are specific directions by Courts of Law, are allowed to defer the elections up to 31st December, 2026 - as a transitional measure."
The ministry said that the existing executive committee of the NSF concerned can continue by extending the tenure of the current office-bearers. "The incumbent office-bearers/members shall continue to perform their duties and responsibilities as prescribed in the bye-laws and under the Sports Code or the applicable legislation," said the letter.
However, the ministry has clarified that this is a one-time extension only for transitional purposes. "This one-time extension is solely for the purpose of transitioning to the new electoral framework established under the National Sports Governance Act, 2025. This issues with the approval of the competent authority."
The NSG Bill was tabled in the Parliament by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya in July this year. It received the assent of the President on August 18. The Act introduces a comprehensive framework for transparent, accountable and athlete-centric governance of the NSFs and requires significant statutory, structural and procedural changes to be undertaken by all the NSFs for effective adoption under the Act.
It needs to be seen if the new constitution of the NSFs would allow former presidents and secretaries who finished their 12-year tenure to come back and contest elections. The NSG is silent on the tenure cap of 12 years for office-bearers. For president it was with or without four-year cooling off, while for the secretary and treasurer it was two terms of four years followed by a cooling off of four years and one more term of four years. It needs to be seen how NSG mandates.