Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday that the much-awaited National Sports Governance Bill will be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session beginning on July 21.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Department of Youth Affairs’ initiatives against drug addiction, Mandaviya reiterated the government’s position that Pakistani athletes will not be stopped from coming to India for multilateral sporting engagements. “The Bill will be tabled in Parliament during the upcoming session. I will give more details in a couple of days,” he said.

The National Sports Governance Bill seeks to ensure greater accountability for the country’s sports administrators with the provision of a regulatory board which would have the power to grant recognition and decide funding to National Sports Federations (NSFs) based on their adherence to provisions pertaining to good governance. The Board will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with the highest governance, financial and ethical standards.

The draft Sports Bill also proposes the constitution of Ethics Commissions and Dispute Resolution Commissions to ensure transparency in governance. The Bill is being debated for a long time. The Indian Olympic Association has been opposing it on the grounds that a regulatory board would undermine its standing as the nodal body for all NSFs.

The Pakistan question

Mandviya said India would not stop Pakistan’s participation in international sports engagements in the country despite the turbulent relations between the two countries which have further deteriorated following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.

The men’s Asia Cup hockey tournament (Bihar) next month, the FIH Junior World Cup in November-December (Tamil Nadu) and the junior shooting World Cup (New Delhi) in September-October are the major events where Pakistan players are expected to participate expected.

“Our stand is clear. We don’t have any problems playing with Pakistan in any international sporting event, be it cricket, hockey or any other sport. But when it comes to bilateral engagements, the government position is known to all,” said Mandaviya.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has sought clearance from its government for participation in the two tournaments in India, but there is no clarity on whether the approval has been granted. “We have told Pakistan that we will grant them visas for the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup hockey tournaments, but it is up to their government to decide whether to send teams or not. We have no problem,” the Sports Minister said. “Both are international tournaments and every participating team will be given the same treatment,” he added.

The Asia Cup will be held in Rajgir from August 27 to September 7, while the Junior World Cup is scheduled from November 28 to December 10.

The government’s decision to allow Pakistan is based on the Olympic Charter which prohibits denial of participation due to political reasons. Such an act can lead to suspension of future hosting rights for India, which has proposed to host the 2036 Olympic Games and the 2030 Commonwealth Games.