'Neither SAI nor state departments have a dedicated sports administration service. Instead, roles are filled by generalist civil servants or contractual staff, often lacking sector-specific expertise.'
An Abhinav Bindra-led Task Force set up by the Sports Ministry has pointed out "systemic deficits" in India's sports administration, including "inadequate and ill-equipped" athletes for governance roles, and recommended the setting up of an autonomous statutory body to train a specialised cadre that would also feature IAS officers.
The 170-page report of the Task Force has been submitted to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who on Tuesday said "all its recommendations will be implemented".
The Task Force on Capacity Building of Sports Administrators was constituted under Bindra, the 2008 Olympic gold-winning former rifle shooter, by the Sports Ministry to design a "future-ready, sustainable, and professional governance system for Indian sport".
To address the current "gaps" that ail the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the state departments, the committee has recommended that a National Council for Sports Education and Capacity Building (NCSECB) be set up under the Ministry "to regulate, accredit, and certify sports administration training."
The nine-member Task Force was set up in August this year and featured, among others Adille Sumariwala and former Target Olympic Podium Scheme's CEO Cdr. Rajesh Rajagopalan.
The panel highlighted lack of a professional cadre of sports administrators, and outdated training opportunities for them with "limited focus on competencies or continuous professional development."
It also said that most athletes are "ill-equipped" when it comes to skills needed to transition from their sporting careers into administrative roles.
"This report is both diagnostic and prescriptive. It identifies the structural, functional, and systemic gaps that currently constrain sports governance, but more importantly, it charts a roadmap for transformation," said Bindra in its preface.
The Task Force was entrusted with a wide-ranging mandate and it included evaluation of the current administrative framework across institutions such as
SAI, NSFs and state associations.
"We engaged deeply with the sporting ecosystem. We consulted athletes, government officials, SAI administrators, NSF representatives, state functionaries, academic experts, and international institutions," Bindra said in the report.
The SAI, which has also been deemed understaffed by the parliamentary standing committee on sports, came in for some heavy scrutiny even from the Task Force along with the state sports departments.
Describing the two as the "backbone" of India's sports administration, the panel concluded that "both institutions face deep systemic and capacity challenges that hinder
professionalism, efficiency, and governance effectiveness."
"These gaps not only constrain the implementation of national policies but also weaken coordination with federations and other stakeholders, limiting India's ability to
build a modern, athlete-centric sports ecosystem," it pointed out.
"Neither SAI nor state departments have a dedicated sports administration service. Instead, roles are filled by generalist civil servants or contractual staff, often lacking sector-specific expertise.
"This has resulted in ad-hoc decision-making, weak institutional continuity, and an
absence of long-term professionalisation."
The panel then mentioned the "poor coordination" between SAI, NSFs, and State Departments, calling it "limited and fragmented."
"Overlapping roles, duplication of functions, and unclear accountability frameworks reduce efficiency and create systemic bottlenecks," it said.
Asked to evaluate the idea of broad-basing Patiala's prestigious National Institute of Sports as an academy for training of sports administrators, the Task Force has rejected the proposal, calling it a "restrictive and unsustainable" plan.
It was also mandated to assess the idea of establishing a National Academy for Sports at NS NIS (Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports) in Patiala which would be dedicated to "capacity building" of sports administrators.
The NS NIS is a highly-rated training facility for boxing, weightlifting, and athletics besides being a premier institute for diplomas in coaching.
"While the idea of a single National Academy is well-intentioned, it risks becoming restrictive and unsustainable," the nine-member panel noted.
"While NSNIS is rightly regarded as the premier institute for sports coaching, its privileged status has also created unintended consequences. Recruiters in Central and State services, as well as PSUs, tend to give preference almost exclusively to NSNIS-trained coaches, limiting opportunities for graduates of other credible institutions," it pointed out.
"In some cases, even internationally certified coaches are not considered eligible for government or PSU roles. Designating NSNIS as the National Academy for Sports Administrators risks replicating this imbalance in the field of sports governance," it added.
The Task Force felt such "exclusivity" could stifle the growth of other universities and institutes offering sports management programmes by "concentrating recognition and opportunity too narrowly."
The panel recommended instead of being turned it into an academy, the NIS should be "empanelled" as one of the key institutions delivering modules for building administrative capacity.
"...India's scale and diversity demand a networked model, where NSNIS plays a leading but not singular role, complemented by multiple institutions that together build a broad, inclusive, and sustainable ecosystem for sports administration," it said.
"...investing in a network of institutions spreads resources more effectively, creates multiple access points across the country, and ensures far greater impact in both scale and reach."
The Task Force felt that a single National Academy would also risk creating a "monopoly of credentialing."
"Given the size and diversity of India, and the current maturity of the Indian sports ecosystem, it is imperative that multiple institutions are empowered to deliver capacity-building programmes in order to ensure scale, inclusivity, and regional reach."
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, while talking about the report, said "a revamp of the course structure at the NIS could definitely be considered" to keep up with the changing demands of coaching internationally.
No clear pathway for athletes in governance
The panel noted that while the soon-to-be-implemented National Sports Governance Act makes athlete representation in NSF Executive Committees mandatory, there is no system in place to train them for the job.
"India does not yet have a structured Dual Athlete Career Pathway integrated with the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, which supports athletes in combining elite performance with education, leadership, and governance skills," it said.
"...the real gap lies in athlete preparedness to take up these governance and leadership roles effectively. Most athletes retire without the relevant skills in administration, leadership, or governance, leaving them underprepared for the responsibilities such positions demand," it added.
The panel cited international success stories to state that proper training is a must for making competent administrators out of athletes.
World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe (an Olympic middle-distance champion, former International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach (Olympic fencing gold-medallist) and current IOC President Kirsty Coventry (Olympic swimming champion) were the names cited by the panel.
Governance Gaps in NSFs
Over-centralisation of authority in NSFs was cited as a major governance concern by the Task Force.
"In many NSFs, the President exercises disproportionate control over operations, finance, and appointments. This contrasts sharply with global norms, where governance and execution are clearly separated.
"Combined with Limited transparency, this leads to low accountability and stunted leadership development. Elected office bearers often take on operational responsibilities without formal training in sports management," it said.
"Few federations appoint full-time CEOs or domain-specific directors. This often results in conflicts of interest, inefficiency in day-to-day functioning, and weak execution of high-performance programs."
Civil Service Integration
The panel recommended that IAS and state cadre officers must be trained in structured sports governance modules at both induction and advanced stages, given their central role in implementation.
"Civil service academies should integrate sports governance training to sensitise future bureaucrats."
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