Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju during an interview with PTI, in New Delhi, on July 18, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju feels that the National Sports Governance Bill, which is set to be tabled in the monsoon session beginning on Monday (July 21, 2025), will usher in a “new era” for sports in India.
Mr. Rijiju was the Union Sports Minister for two years between 2019 and 2021. He was among the predecessors of incumbent Mansukh Mandviya who played a part in building consensus for the Bill by talking to the country’s sports administrators and other stakeholders.
In an interview to PTI, the 53-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West said he is looking forward to the Bill becoming an act soon.
“It’s a historic bill coming for the sporting community. I must thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modiji for having such a visionary idea about transforming the sports sector,” he said.
The Bill seeks to create a framework for good governance in the National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
It mandates the setting up of a regulatory board which would have the power to grant recognition and decide funding to NSFs based on their adherence to provisions related to good governance.
The regulatory board will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with the highest governance, financial, and ethical standards. The NSFs have been brought on board after extensive discussions over several years that intensified after Mandaviya took charge last year.
The Bill also proposes the establishment of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance and cut down litigation, which sometimes leads to embarrassing showdowns between athletes and administrators over issues ranging from selection to elections.
It has been opposed by the IOA, which feels that a regulatory board would undermine its standing as the nodal body for all NSFs.
Current IOA president P T Usha has even gone to the extent of suggesting that India would run the risk of being suspended by the International Olympic Committee for government interference.
However, Mr. Mandaviya has asserted that the IOC has been consulted while drafting the proposed legislation. Having the IOC on board is crucial as India is bidding to become an Olympic host in 2036.
Mr. Rijiju, who batted for autonomy of sports administrators but with greater accountability during his tenure in the sports ministry, said he is confident of its smooth passage in the Parliament.
“There are two (other) things — the Khelo Bharat Niti and the anti-doping amendment Bill. These two bills (anti-doping and sports governance) are to be combined and we will discuss in the Parliament and I am sure the members will take part,” he said.
“Once the new sports bill is passed, it will usher in a new sporting culture in the country. Khelo India has already promoted sports culture in the country,” he added.
The anti-doping act was originally passed in 2022 but its implementation had to be put on hold due to objections raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The world body objected to the institution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports, which was empowered to make recommendations to the government on anti-doping regulations.
The Board, which was to comprise a Chairperson and two members appointed by the central government, was also authorised to oversee the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and even issue directions to it.
WADA rejected this provision as government interference in an autonomous body. The amended bill has therefore deleted this provision to be WADA-compliant.
Published – July 19, 2025 09:20 am IST