Question : Growth of Sports

(a) whether office bearers of various Sports Federations in the country are
non-sportspersons and if so, the details thereof, sports federationwise;
(b) whether these persons have monopolized taken control over the Sports
Federations for decades without giving the sportspersons an
opportunity to participate in their own sports bodies; and
(c) whether this has resulted in the growth of various games and sports
being stymied, if so, the details thereof along with the steps the
Government proposes to take to reform the system, and if not, the
reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS
AND SPORTS
(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)
(a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.259 FOR REPLY ON 15-03-2016 ASKED BY
SHRI R.K. SINGH REGARDING GROWTH OF SPORTS.
(a) Madam, Government deals only with the national level sports
federations. National Sports Federations (NSFs) are registered under various
Acts such as Societies Registration Act, Companies Act etc. Government
does not get into their day to day affairs. The composition of the office
bearers of the NSFs include sports persons as well as non sports persons.
However, complete data of such persons elected as office bearers in various
NSFs w.r.t their being a sportspersons or a non-sportspersons is not
maintained.
(b) & (c) Instances had come to notice of the Government where some
persons had continued as office bearers for unduly long periods. With a view
to ensure that no person continues to hold important posts in the NSFs, for
unduly long period, Government has issued instructions limiting the age and
tenure of office bearers of the NSFs. These instructions have also been
made part of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 (NSDCI).
The salient features of the said instructions are under:-
(i) The President of any recognized National Sports Federation,
including the Indian Olympic Association can hold the office for a
maximum period of twelve years with or without break.
(ii) The Secretary (Secretary General/General Secretary) and the
Treasurer of any recognized National Sports Federation,
including the Indian Olympic Association, may serve a maximum
of two successive terms of four years each after which a
minimum cooling off period of 4 years will apply to seek fresh
election to either post.
(iii) The President, the Secretary and the Treasurer of any recognized
National Sports Federation, including the Indian Olympic
Association, shall cease to hold that post on attaining the age
of 70 years.
Further, to ensure adequate representation of sportspersons in
the NSFs, a condition has been laid down in the NSDCI for inclusion of
prominent sportspersons of outstanding merit as members of the respective
sports federations. The strength of such prominent sportspersons with
voting rights should be a certain minimum percentage (say 25%) of the total
members representing the federation.
*****