Citing the "prime importance" of national events in the context of India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics, the sports ministry has unveiled directives on the procedure and timeline for the conduct of marquee domestic competitions which has caused some discomfort in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
In a six-page directive issued to the IOA, the Paralympic Committee of India and the National Sports Federations (NSFs), the ministry said it is imperative that the National Games and the Championships "honour their national character."
"Towards this end, the IOA/PCI/NSFs shall adopt a system of Olympic and Paralympic Cycle planning and publish in advance their respective annual calendars, so that all the stakeholders have a clear idea and opportunity to plan interventions and allocate and deploy resources," the ministry stated.
"Compliance with the above-mentioned procedure and requirements will be reviewed at the time of annual recognition process in terms of the Sports Code," it added in the missive.
The ministry said the Games Technical Conduct Committee, list of disciplines in the National Games, and eligibility criteria for participants should be communicated to it at least six months prior to the showpiece.
It then goes on to direct the IOA and the NSFs to submit a schedule of the events to be held at least 45 days before the actual commencement.
The IOA and NSFs have also been told to provide a "written description of all measures that will be undertaken in respect of anti-doping, age-fraud, match integrity, prevention of sexual harassment and athlete welfare and safety...whistle-blower and reporting protocols and grievance redressal measures."
Although no official response was forthcoming from the IOA, it is reliably learnt that the body is not happy to these directives as they are being seen as government interference in what has purely been a domain of the NSFs and the IOA.
The ministry said speedy dispute resolution is an essential aspect of well-organised events and all national competitions must have a robust ad-hoc panel to handle complaints from athletes and officials.
Government interference in the day-to-day functioning of the NSFs and the national olympic committee is viewed as violation of Olympic Charter by the International Olympic Committee.
The ministry, on its part, acknowledged that the Olympic Charter, the Paralympic Charter and the National Sports Development Code "provide for the autonomy and responsibility of the IOA, the PCI and the NSFs for conduct of events such as the National Games and National Championships in association with their affiliate units."
But it then went on to state that the ministry too has a role as these events also enable the medal winners to "enjoy the benefits of different government policies and programmes..."
These include "Sports Quota benefits for admission in educational institutions and in recruitments, as also in the opportunities for recognition as Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit under various governance instruments."
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