The National Sports Governance Bill 2025, expected to be tabled in Parliament, may include BCCI under its ambit despite it not receiving government funding. Aimed at ensuring transparency, athlete representation, and structured dispute resolution in sports bodies, the bill could also bring BCCI under the RTI Act.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla. Image/File Pic
The National Sports Governance Bill is expected to be put up in Parliament on Wednesday. With speculations being made that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might abide by the bill, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has stated that they will first study the National Sports Governance Bill, and only after that will he express his views on it.
As reported by news agency ANI, the Sports Ministry sources have already revealed on Tuesday that the proposed National Sports Governance Bill 2025 is expected to be tabled during the monsoon session of Parliament. This bill will bring the BCCI under its purview.
Considering the fact that the BCCI is not dependent on government funding, its inclusion in the bill was widely expected. The main objective of including the BCCI in the National Sports Governance Bill is in relation to the planned participation of the Indian cricket team in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
However, Rajya Sabha MP and BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla refrained from commenting on the bill before its introduction and told the media that, "We will have to study the bill after it's introduced. Only then can I express my views on it," as cited by ANI.
The BCCI is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975. The Board of Cricket Control in India, commonly known as BCCI, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of cricket in India. BCCI looks over cricket both domestically and internationally.
As of now, the BCCI does not fall under the 45 recognised National Sports Federations. However, if the Indian cricket board falls under the bill's ambit, it could also be subject to the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Officials said the National Sports Governance Bill will solve problems such as frequent litigation over NSF elections and athlete selections. The official also asserted that the inclusion of BCCI will also solve issues related to a lack of a dedicated dispute resolution forum, weak or token athlete representation in federations, gender imbalance in sports leadership, and no standard electoral process across federations.
Additionally, they stated that it will help address the absence of internal grievance redressal systems, as well as financial opacity and poor governance in NSFs. The National Sports Governance Bill is designed to create a legal framework that ensures the transparent and equitable operation of sports organisations, necessitating the inclusion of athletes in decision-making processes.
It endeavours to facilitate the swift resolution of disputes through the Sports Tribunal and guarantee fair and transparent elections through the Election Tribunal. The officials stated that the government's function will be that of a facilitator, not a controller.
(With inputs from ANI)
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