The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the centre on a public interest petition seeking reforms in all state sports associations, similar to the ones Justice RM Lodha panel suggested for BCCI.
Eminent sportspersons have approached the top court for a direction to the government to extend the root-and-branch reforms recommended for the Indian cricket administration to all sports bodies. Reforms should include making sports bodies immune to political meddling.
The 28 petitioners include Arjuna Award winners, Dronacharya Award winners and Olympians. They contended that incorporating such recommendations within the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011, will ensure transparent functioning of all national sports federations and their respective state entities.
It will ensure ultimate goal of good governance of national sports, which is in the larger interest of the nation.
“The administration of sports is engulfed with political influences and corruption which ultimately leads to the detriment of the sport and affects the performance of the sportspersons, especially since it also leads to the lack of sports facilities and training facilities,” the petition read.