The Sports Governance Bill 2025 Explained: A new era for Indian sports

The Sports Governance Bill 2025 Explained: A new era for Indian sports

The Sports Governance Bill 2025 is a landmark legislative reform that aims to reshape the foundations of Indian sport. Long plagued by administrative opacity, internal power struggles, and limited athlete participation in governance, India’s sporting structure has often been criticised for being more about politics than performance. The new Bill addresses these issues head-on, proposing a comprehensive legal framework that centres athletes, introduces accountability, and brings India in line with international sporting standards.

Making Federations Fall in Line

At the heart of the Bill is the intent to correct years of mismanagement in national sports federations (NSFs). For far too long, these bodies have operated without adequate oversight, often sidelining athlete welfare in favour of bureaucratic control. The Bill seeks to fix ten critical problems — from a lack of athlete representation and internal complaints mechanisms to unregulated tenures and delayed legal disputes that have harmed athletes’ careers. It emerges in the backdrop of repeated embarrassments where Indian athletes, particularly in sports like wrestling, had to compete without the national flag due to the suspension of their federations. These were not just symbolic setbacks but deep failures of governance that the Bill now aims to prevent.

Inclusion of athletes in decision-making

One of the most significant aspects of the legislation is its emphasis on athlete inclusion. Every NSF will now be mandated to have an Athlete Committee, and at least one Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit (SOM) must be part of the decision-making structure. This ensures that active or former athletes — those with real, lived experience of the sporting system — have a say in how it is run. Additionally, the Bill requires federations to guarantee safe, harassment-free environments for sportspersons by setting up proper internal complaints committees and enforcing codes of conduct. These reforms come in the wake of increasing cases of athlete harassment and the need for a robust, independent safeguarding mechanism.

Dismantling fiefdoms

Another key provision is the restructuring of federation leadership. The Bill had an upper age limit of 70 years for office bearers, imposes term limits, and enforces cooling-off periods to prevent individuals from occupying powerful positions indefinitely. The limit will now raise to 75. For instance, the current BCCI president, Roger Binny can serve for at least 3 more years in his tenure. Complementing this is the requirement for independent Ethics and Grievance Redressal Boards in all NSFs — a much-needed step to ensure fairness and transparency in resolving disputes and addressing misconduct.

An eye on the Olympics

The Bill also serves India’s Olympic ambitions. With cricket now included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, even the powerful BCCI falls within the regulatory scope of the Indian Olympic Association, and by extension, under the provisions of the Sports Bill. This means BCCI, which had long resisted governance reforms, will now be expected to comply with rules on transparency, ethics, and representation — aligning itself with the same standards expected of every other sporting body in the country.

While some critics label the Bill as a tool for government control, its actual provisions point to the opposite — decentralisation, independent checks, and athlete empowerment. It moves Indian sport away from a system of closed-door politics and towards one of openness, inclusion, and long-term planning. The Sports Governance Bill 2025, then, is not just about law — it is about finally putting Indian athletes first.