MUMBAI: In its annual renewal of National Sports Federations (NSFs) in the country, the Sports Ministry has not considered the validity of the Archery Association of India (AAI) despite the federation conducting fresh elections under a new constitution and the supervision of the Delhi High Court in December 2018, Press Trust of India reports.
Although BVP Rao’s appointment as President has been accepted by World Archery (WA), the apex governing body of the sport, the Sports Ministry and IOA continue to be at loggerheads with the AAI over its inability to comply with the National Sports Development Code of India (NSDCI), 2011.
Besides AAI, other major NSFs which got derecognised are the Indian Golf Union (IGU), Gymnastics Federation of India and Taekwondo Federation of India.
Out of 52 NSFs, 16 have either been derecognised or gained conditional recognition for not adhering to the ministry’s four-year-old directive of making their activities transparent on their websites. The Paralympic Committee of India, School Games Federation of India, NSFs of basketball, handball, swimming, table tennis, fencing, wushu and billiards and snooker have been put on notice as well.
However, they have been given time till 31 March for the ministry to reconsider its decision.
“In the interest of sports and sportspersons, it has been decided to renew the annual recognition of these (16) NSFs…who are required to comply with the guidelines by 31.03.2019, failing which their recognition may be reviewed,” the ministry said in the renewal order.
“In case it comes to the notice of this ministry that such information in respect of any NSF(s) is/are not correct, recognition of the concerned NSF(s) may be withdrawn forthwith without prejudice to any other action as deemed appropriate as per the NSDCI (National Sports Development Code of India) 2011 or any other extant guidelines,” it added.
