THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government plans legislation to curb partisan politics in sports bodies and ensure that sportspersons, government representatives and pioneers in allied fields lead the state’s sports administration.
The government will introduce the Kerala Sportspersons’ Welfare, Sports Development and Governance Bill, 2026, in the assembly session starting Monday to integrate athlete welfare, sports science, modern infrastructure and a comprehensive development framework.
The move follows appeals by several sportspersons to Sports Minister O J Janeesh for a comprehensive overhaul of sports administration, officials said.
The bill also proposes a Sports Authority of Keralam, chaired by the sports minister, with sportspersons and experts in fields such as sports science on its general committee. The secretaries of Sports, Law, Finance and General Education will be ex-officio members, while the general council will include one representative from each sports association.
The bill lays down strict criteria for selecting members. The proposed system is expected to make sports associations more accountable for their decisions and expenditure, while ensuring that sports administration serves the state’s interests, sources said.
“Sports associations often fail to follow proper player-selection guidelines, divert funds and allocate resources unevenly. Associations with stronger representation in the council get more support, while those without representation are left out. Sportspersons ultimately bear the brunt of these practices,” a senior Sports Department official said.
A major overhaul of the institutional framework, including the Sports Councils, is also likely, in line with Janeesh’s earlier call for a comprehensive revamp. The move comes after the Vigilance Department’s ‘Operation Kalikkalam’ exposed widespread financial and procedural irregularities in district and state sports councils. Senior officials have also flagged duplication of services among the Sports Department, Sports Council and Sports Kerala Foundation, which the proposed reforms aim to eliminate.
The bill also proposes developing and managing sports infrastructure through government, institutional, private and public-private initiatives. It opens up the sports sector to startups, technology providers, professional facility operators, and event organisers.
