The government on Wednesday said that the National Sports Development Bill was “ready” and it will be introduced in Parliament in the upcoming winter session of the House.
“The Bill is ready and circulated to all the stake holders. After a change in the government, fresh comments were sought. IOA has been dragging its feet but we will present the Bill in the next session of the Parliament,” Ajit Sharan, Secretary Sports, said at a press conference.
All the National Sports Federations (NSFs) accredited to the government need to comply with the stipulations that office bearers retire at the age of 70 years and except for the President who is allowed three consecutive terms, none of the other office-bearers would be eligible to contest a third term immediately after completing two successive terms.
IOA had initially objected to age and tenure guidelines even as some NSFs have already implemented them.
Sharan made the statement in presence of Sports Minister Sarbanand Sonowal, who through his secretaries, made a presentation, listing achievements after completing 100 days in the office and policies for future.
Sonowal, who hails from the North East, that his ministry was committed to support sportspersons so that they can “realise their potential”.
Talking about accountability of NSFs, Sharan said it was “delicate matter”.
“The NSFs are autonomous bodies and subject to RTI. They have been advised to put information on their websites, relating to expenditure, (criteria for) selection of athletes, money spent on office bearers. By putting this information in public domain is part of accountability,” he said.
Asked specifically about BCCI if the government was a failure to bring the cricket board under the RTI, Sharan said they were not.
“The High Court in Chennai has put a stay and we could not get that vacated but efforts have been there to bring BCCI within the ambit of RTI,” Sharan explained.
About Boxing India getting provisional recognition from AIBA to run the affairs of the sport in the country, Sharan said after that the IOA Adhoc Committee, which was managing the sport’s issues, has been dissolved and they are considering Boxing India’s application for recognition as NSF.
The government has decided to felicitate on October 22 the men’s hockey team that won gold medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964.
The government also announced that it would focus on identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games through Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme.
Under this initiative, the government would focus on seven sports -- athletics, archery, badminton, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and shooting.
Athletes will be selected after rigorous screening and scientific analysis by a High Level Committee under the chairmanship of Anurag Thakur.
Selected athletes will be provided customised training at best centres in India and abroad and their performance will be continuously monitored.
Sharan also said that they will introduce Prize Money Tournament Circuit for four sports -- boxing, archery, wrestling and athletics.
Competitions with prize money worth Rs. 1 crore in each sports, will be held exclusively for Indian athletes. The first such competition for boxing will be held from December 14 to 18 while for archery it will be organised from January 15-19.
“Top-16 athletes in each sport will compete against each other and the winner is expected to get Rs. 2 lakh at least,” he said.
