Sports Governance in India: Challenges and Government Initiatives

Context: This article is based on the news “Govt suspends new wrestling panel: Being run from Brij Bhushan’s premises” which was published in the Indian Express. The Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly-elected committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). 

Govt Suspends New Wrestling Panel

• Reason for suspension: WFI’s former president has been charged by Delhi Police with sexual harassment of six women wrestlers.
  • The renowned wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat protested against him, demanding his arrest for sexual harassment of female wrestlers, including a minor.
  • Thus, he will not be involved in decision-making until further orders.
  • This raises serious concerns about the governance and integrity of the WFI.
• Authority to IOA: The government has given the authority to  Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to manage the WFI’s day to day affairs “until further orders.” 

Must Read: National Sports Awards 2023

What is Sports Governance?

• Sports governance can be defined as the oversight and direction of a sports organisation. 
  • Oversight: It refers to ensuring that an organisation is run by the relevant rules and policies.
  • Direction: It refers to the mission, objectives, and strategies of an organisation 

About Indian Model of Sports Governance

• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS): The administration of sports in India is carried out by several sporting associations and federations operating under the MYAS.

• • Department of Sports (DOS):  Under the aegis of MYAS, it is mandated with formulating policies and guidelines, laying down eligibility conditions for national sport federations (NSFs) and determining the quantum of grants and financial assistance available to them.
  • DOS also oversees the participation of Indian sports teams in abroad tournaments, and the participation of foreign sports teams in international tournaments in India.
  • Sports Authority of India (SAI): It is an autonomous body under the DOS. Its objectives include talent scouting, training and preparation for national teams, sports infrastructure development, international events and implementing various schemes of the DOS.
• Indian Olympic Association (IOA): The IOA is an autonomous body that oversees the representation of athletes or teams in the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and other international multi-sport competitions.
  • It is the governing body for the Olympic movement in India and is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.

Sports Governance in India: Challenges 

• Lack of Standardization in Sports Governance:  There are no strong sports laws, making sport regulatory bodies opaque and unaccountable.
  • The existing governance structure for sports complexes in India is unclear and lacks coherence. This ambiguity regarding authority and jurisdiction creates confusion at the grassroots level.
• Duplication of Policy: In India, the different levels of government, sport organisations, and the private sector provide similar services such as coaching, academies, and events while strategy and compliance are given inadequate attention. 
  • This duplication of services leads to confusion among organisations and athletes regarding accountability and leave gaps in the sport development system.
  • Example: Both the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan and Fit India Movement are required to provide sports equipment to government schools. 
  • This creates questions about who these schools will report to and if they will receive funds from both schemes.
• Under Budgeting of Sports: In India, per capita sport expenditure is minimal as compared to other leading sport nations.
  • The sports budget for India for 2023 was Rs 3397.32( Rs 24 per year for every Indian) while for the UK, it  was 491.8 million (Rs 4,898 per citizen for the country’s population of 6.73 crore).
• Sexual Harassment:  There is rampant sexual harassment of women athletes in India because of a sense of impunity enjoyed by men in power.
• In an RTI reply, it was reported that between the period of 2010 and 2020, there were 45 complaints of sexual harassment to SAI, of which 29 were against coaches.

• According to the Mary Com Committee. there is no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the WFI as mandated by the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act.
• Corruption: At the governance level, the sports organisation suffers from corruption, lack of transparency and financial irregularities.
  • Example- Financial corruption scandal of Women’s Hockey World Cup (India) involving the Federation of International Hockey (FIH), Indian Olympic Association (IOA). 
  • In 2012, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was suspended from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for electing members with pending criminal cases against them in its governing body. 
• Drug usage: As per the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in 2019, India accounted for 152 anti-doping rules violations placing it third behind Russia (167) and Italy (157).
• Less Push for Other Sports: Sports like khokho, kabaddi, wrestling, gymnastics, etc., have not received the same attention as cricket due to a lack of school-level promotion, cultural upbringing, and connected career insecurity.

Also Read: Doping In Indian Sports: NADA’s Ineffectiveness Exposed

Way Forward to better Sports Governance

• Need for Legislation: A legal backing should be given for sports governance, which will help check the accountability and actions of stakeholders and agencies involved with managing sports. 
• Structural changes in Sports Governance:  Different authorities need to be held accountable to higher authorities for their activities, and there must be a free and fair selection of people who run these associations. 
  • Including athletes in decision making, free and fair elections to the sports organisations will help revive a better sports culture and create a culture of accountability and transparency.
  • Example-The Olympic Charter has a provision for the election of athlete representatives as members of the National Olympic Committee and their boards.
• Creation of Autonomous Bodies for better Sports Governance: An autonomous body should be created with a complete view of the functioning of the sports federations. 
  • Moreover, there should be a law to govern each and every one of these associations. 
  • Each district, state, and national sports body should have athlete commissions with adequate athlete representation, ensuring their active involvement in decision-making processes.
• Grassroots Level Reforms in Sports Governance: Restructuring of district and state bodies that contribute to the national sports governance pyramid needs to be done. 
  • The emphasis should be on training both athlete and non-athlete sports governors and administrators.
  • Proper alignment and database creation will help talent at the grassroots by ensuring the lowering of entry barriers for younger talent..
  • Example- All India Chess Federation functions has established a working calendar, and provides a detailed database of all registered players.
• Gender Parity in Sports Governance: Women must be provided with increased representation in sports organisations and efforts need to be made to provide them with a gender-neutral sports environment providing parity in pay, equipment and other infrastructure, etc.
  • Ex-The appointment of a woman chief of the WFI and other sport organisations.
• Sports Awareness: Provisions for developing the infrastructure which helps the children to choose sports as a career.
  • All sports should be acknowledged and given attention on a national level. Schools can make a difference by mandating the teaching of various sports.

Conclusion:

Respecting sports governance standards is essential to guaranteeing accountability, openness, and fair play. Building trust with athletes, stakeholders, and the general public depends on them. Thus, immediate and stringent corrective measures are needed to uphold the principles of good governance in sports organisations.