GOVERNANCE OF SPORTS IN INDIA

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Recently Sports administration in India is in the news headlines for the wrong reasons.
Both the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) could be banned or suspended if elections to their executive body are not conducted immediately.
Hockey India is also under the radar and a notice was sent by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the delay in conducting elections.
The elections for the national football body have to be conducted by September 15. If not, India would face a FIFA ban.
- The IOA is also being warned of a possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Supreme Court of India has appointed a Committee of Administrators to manage football in India.
- Last year the executive committee of the AIFF was dissolved for violating the Central government’s sports code.

Sports Code

The Union Government introduced the Sports Code or National Sports Development Code in 2011.
The code was introduced to ensure good governance practices in the management of sports at the national level without interfering with the autonomy of the national sports bodies.
The Code laid down restrictions regarding age and tenure.

Current Sports Model in India – The existing model of governance of sports in India has two wings:

One in which the government bodies are controlled by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS).
- This wing has institutions like the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and other institutions working towards promoting sports training under SAI.
- Sports Authority of India oversees the training of the athletes and coaches and also be responsible for the sports infrastructure development. The sports universities and schools also function under SAI.
The other wing has the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
- State Olympic Associations (SOAs) and the national and state Sports Federations (NSFs and SFs) come under the IOA.
However, the MYAS provides financial and infrastructural support to the National and State Sports Federations and indirectly controls these federations through political representations.