National Sports Act: Sports Ministry announced…National Sports Administration Act partially implemented
Delhi. The National Sports Administration Act partially came into force on Thursday, paving the way for the creation of an all-powerful National Sports Board (NSB) and a tribunal to resolve sports disputes. The Act was notified on August 18 last year and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has described it as the biggest sports reform in the country.
The provisions being implemented relate to the establishment and governance structure of national sports bodies, including National Olympic Committees, National Paralympic Committees, National Sports Federations (NSFs) and regional sports federations. “sections 1 to 3 of the said Act, sub-sections (1), (2) and (4) of section 4, sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 5, sub-section (5) of section 8, sub-section (1) of section 11, sections 14 and 15, sub-sections (1) to (7) and (10) of section 17, sections 30 and 31, and section 33 of the said Act,” a ministry release said. The provisions of Section 38 will apply.
Under the provisions of the Act, after the elections, it will be mandatory for all bodies to form executive committees consisting of not more than 15 members, including at least two players (SOMs). With the partial implementation of the Act, the process of constituting the National Sports Board (NSB) and National Sports Tribunal (NST) will also begin.
The NSB will consist of a Chairman and such members to be appointed by the Central Government from amongst ‘persons of ability, integrity and standing and who have special knowledge or practical experience in public administration, sports administration, sports law and other related fields.’ The ministry said, ‘The purpose of implementing this Act in a phased manner is to ensure a smooth transition into the statutory sports administration framework.’
The ministry has already allowed those National Sports Federations (NSFs), whose elections are due in the next few months, to postpone the process till December for full implementation of the Act. This means that the All India Football Federation elections will be held much later in the year.
The proposed three-member body, NSB, will not only have the power to grant affiliation to NSFs but will also have the power to monitor their financial operations and penalize them for any misconduct after the full implementation of the Act.
Affiliation with NSB will be mandatory for NSF to receive government grants. The age limit for all members of NSB has been fixed at 65 years. The members of the National Sports Tribunal will hold office for four years and their age limit will be 67 years. A National Sports Election Panel (NSEP) is also to be constituted to manage the elections of National Sports Associations and other sports bodies.
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