Sports Governance Act: Tier System for Athletes, Convicted Ineligible.
The Sports Ministry on Monday notified the rules that would govern the implementation of the National Sports Governance Act, unveiling a tiered eligibility criteria for the inclusion of Sportspersons of Merit (SOM) in national federations and reiterating the ban on convicted people from the election process.
The Act was partially implemented on January 1 and the National Sports Federations have been given six months to amend their bylaws to make them compliant with the new law. They have also been allowed to delay any pending election process till the end of this year for a smooth transition.
The ministry mandates at least four SOM, two of them women, in the General Bodies of national sports bodies.
Athletes who have won at least one of any gold, silver or bronze medal in the Summer Olympic Games or Winter Olympic Games have been placed in Tier I.
Tier II is for those who have participated in two or more editions of the Olympics or the Winter Olympics. Tier III would be for applicants who have participated in at least one edition of the Olympics or Winter Olympics.
Winners of Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award or an Arjuna Award are in Tier IV, while Tier V is for applicants who have won at least a gold, silver or bronze medal or equivalent placing, in a World Championship or "equivalent competition". There are a total of 10 tiers in descending order of achievements.
With the implementation of the Act notified, a three-member National Sports Board, from which the NSFs will have to seek affiliation for grant of government funds, will take shape in the days to come. A five-member search-cum-selection headed by the Cabinet Secretary will assess candidates.
Convicted people barred
Persons convicted of any offence by a court of law will continue to be barred from contesting elections to the Executive Committee and the Athletes Commission of national federations.
"A person shall be disqualified from being a member of the General Body, or of any committee of a National Sports Body, and shall not be eligible for contesting for election to the Executive Committee or the Athletes Committee, if such person is-(a) declared insolvent under applicable law; or (b) subject to a conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction in India for an offence, followed by a sentence of imprisonment...," the rules stated.
The sportspersons applying to be designated as SOMs should not be less than 25 years of age and must have retired from active sports.
"They should have not participated in any competitive sport event which leads to selection to represent a district, State or India for at least one year prior to the date of application," the ministry stated.
"The Tiered criteria has been kept broad enough to meet requirements of different sports disciplines," it added.
National Sports Election Panel
The rules provide that the roster of the National Sports Election Panel must have at least 20 members at all times.
"The fee of the electoral officer, selected from the Election Panel, will be decided by the National Sports Body on the basis of mutual agreement with the Electoral Officer, subject to a maximum amount of Rs. five lakh," it stated.
The rules authorise the central government, on receipt of the application from a National Sports Body, to relax the provisions of the rules for a period of 12 months.
The reasons must be be recorded in writing for any waiver.
In a first, Ministry asks NSFs to form Committees to liaison with Int'l bodies
The Sports Ministry on Monday asked every national federation to constitute a "Committee on International Relations" that would be tasked with the job of ensuring better cooperation with international bodies on issues such as joint training programmes and hosting of major competitions in India.
In its communication to the National Sports Federations (NSFs), the ministry said the committee should comprise senior members of the federation, former international athletes, coaches and "subject experts with proven experience in global sports administration and diplomacy."
"The details of the Committee, including its composition and terms of reference, may kindly be communicated to this Ministry within 30 days from the date of issuance of this advisory," the Ministry letter to the NSFs, which is in possession of PTI, stated.
The advisory comes a few days after Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao urged NSF officials to leave day-to-day administration to CEOs and focus on building ties internationally for India's benefit.
"You are the vision builders, you are not administrators. You require professional administrators in your organisation who handle the day-to-day business while you network with international bodies and plan the pyramid of growth," he had stated in Ahmedabad last week.
"You should be able to facilitate a process by which our leadership is on first name basis with the international body representatives," he had said while unveiling the medal strategy for the next decade.
The ministry advisory said the decision to advise the formation of such a committee was based on "the rapidly evolving global sports environment."
The committee will be entrusted with the task of monitoring developments in their respective International Federation (IF), Continental Federation (CF), including changes in competition rules and structures, and governance frameworks and elections.
"It will also be expected to formulate a "medium-term international cooperation plan covering bilateral/multilateral MoUs, joint training camps, exchange programmes, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and hosting of international competitions in India," the letter stated.
The committee will coordinate with international federations to ensure India's timely participation in the bidding process.
In addition, the committee will prepare periodic briefs to the Ministry, highlighting the collaborations that are either finalised or in motion between the concerned NSF and its counterparts.
"These briefs should emphasise initiatives that enhance performance pathways for Indian athletes and teams, including access to elite competitions, sparring opportunities, and advanced sports science support abroad," the letter said.
Collaboration with international sports research and academic institutions for best training opportunities and sports science support for the Indian athletes will also be among the briefs for this panel.
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