BCCI to come in ambit of National Sports Governance Bill 2025: Sources

NEW DELHI: The proposed National Sports Governance Bill 2025, which is expected to be tabled during the monsoon session of Parliament, will bring BCCI under its purview, Sports Ministry sources said on Tuesday.

The Bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament this week. Although the BCCI is not dependent on government funding, its inclusion in the bill was widely expected, particularly given the planned participation of Indian cricket team in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“BCCI will come under the ambit of sports bill and all federations will follow the regulations, ” a source said.

Officials said the National Sports Governance Bill will solve problems such as frequent litigation over NSF elections and athlete selections, 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.

They said it will also help tackle financial opacity and poor governance in NSFs and absence of internal grievance redress systems.

The Bill seeks to create a legal framework for transparent and fair functioning of sports bodies and makes athlete representation mandatory in decisions.

It seeks to bring quick dispute resolution through Sports Tribunal and ensure fair and transparent elections via election panel.
Government’s role will be of facilitator, not controller, the officials said.

BCCI is responsible for overseeing all aspects of cricket in India, both domestically and internationally. The BCCI is the wealthiest cricket organisation in the world and holds significant influence in international cricket.

India’s triumph in the 1983 Cricket World Cup emboldened the BCCI to bid for the 1987 World Cup, which became the first edition of the tournament held outside England. The event was a massive success, showcasing the BCCI’s organisational capabilities.

Since then, India has gone on to win multiple ICC tournaments across formats. The BCCI has played a pivotal role in global cricket administration and has launched the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s largest T20 league and one of the biggest sporting leagues globally. Additionally, it has established the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 earlier this month, a landmark initiative aimed at reshaping the country’s sporting landscape and empowering citizens through sports.

The new policy supersedes the existing National Sports Policy of 2001 and outlines a visionary and strategic roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for excellence at international sporting events, including the 2036 Olympic Games. (ANI)