Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha, who is also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, offered her unequivocal support to the National Sports Governance Bill on Tuesday, saying that it will end decades of “stagnant status quo” to usher in “transparency, and accountability” in the country’s sports administration.

During the discussion on the Bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, Usha lauded its provisions, including the setting up of a National Sports Board (NSB) which will have overriding powers to recognise sports federations (NSFs). Affiliation to the NSB would be mandatory for access to central funds.

The Bill also proposes the National Sports Tribunal to deal with sports disputes and the National Sports Election Panel to oversee NSF polls. “Today is a day of immense personal and national significance. I have long awaited this moment,” Usha, who sat alongside another nominated member, Sudha Murthy, said in her address to the House.

Usha had opposed the Bill last year, describing it as government interference and warned that India might end up with a ban from the International Olympic Committee. However, she has since changed her views after extensive consultations with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“Let me take you back to 1984, I was just 20 when I missed an Olympic medal in Los Angeles. That day my heart broke… there was no comprehensive sports law to support the dreams that we carried in our hearts. Since then four decades passed, there was nothing done to address the stagnant status quo. Today the hope has transformed into action and legislation. It is a visionary and long overdue Bill,” she said.

Usha said this bill would usher in transparency, accountability and gender parity. It will empower athletes and build confidence among sponsors and federations. It is about justice and fair play,” she said.

Usha said the Bill’s thrust on creating a structured administrative set-up would be helpful for India’s 2036 Olympics bid. “This legislation comes at a time when India is dreaming big, dreaming for its rightful share in the global sporting fraternity by hosting the 2036 Olympics. For Bharat, it is not just a bill, it is a clarion call for action,” she said.

“This Bill is a critical pillar of a grand vision. Let us see this as a moral promise, a promise that athletes will no longer be let down by an apathetic system. As someone who ran bare foot on clay tracks, I can say that this Bill will change lives,” she added.

Usha also backed the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, which reasserts the National Anti-Doping Agency’s operation independence, while setting up a National Anti-Doping Board to advise on procedural issues. “It is through such effective legislation that we can bring a new culture of clean sports. This Bill will illuminate the athletes’ path with clarity,” she said.