The Lok Sabha on Monday passd the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 and The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 23.
The National Sports Governance Bill has the stated aim to “provide for the development and promotion of sports, welfare measures for sportspersons, ethical practices based on basic universal principles of good governance, ethics and fair play of the Olympic and sports movement, Olympic Charter, Paralympic Charter, international best practices and established legal standards and to provide for the resolution of sports grievances and sports disputes in a unified, equitable and effective manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, be taken into consideration“.
The Bill empowers the Central government to constitute the National Sports Board (NSB).
In a clear move to centralise authority under the Union government, NSB will have the powers grant recognition to the national sports bodies and register their affiliate units. It remains to be seen what stance global sports governing bodies like the International Olympic Committee and FIFA take to the developments, but seen from this perch, the likelihood of positive responses from them look doubtful.
Coming back to the Bill, only sports bodies duly recognised by the NSB will be eligible to receive funds from the Central government. The board may suspend or cancel such recognition or registration, “subject to specified conditions“.
Other functions of NSB include: (i) issuing guidelines on code of ethics and compliance with international rules, (ii) inquiring into matters affecting the welfare of sportspersons, sports development, and misuse of funds, and (iii) creating an ad-hoc administrative body in case of loss of international recognition of a national body.
The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was also introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 23, was also passed. The Bill seeks to amend the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.
