Above 70? Can’t be a sports boss

The Delhi high court on Thursday ordered that elections to sports bodies be held strictly according to the national sports development code. The ruling virtually prevents administrators who have been having uninterrupted stints in sports federations from seeking re-election.

The Delhi high court on Thursday ordered that elections to sports bodies be held strictly according to the national sports development code. The ruling virtually prevents administrators who have been having uninterrupted stints in sports federations from seeking re-election.

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The national sports development code came into effect on January 1 last year and fixes 70 years as the age limit and 12 years (three successive terms) as the maximum tenure for chiefs of sports federations.

Among those who could be affected by the ruling is 68-year-old Suresh Kalmadi, who has been chief of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for over 18 years. IOA elections are scheduled in November.

“The IOA is to hold elections strictly observing the national sports development code,” said a bench of acting chief justice AK Sikri and justice RS Endlaw.

The order came on a PIL filed by lawyer Rahul Mehra, seeking judicial intervention against attempts by “some people to turn sports bodies into fiefdoms”.
The court will hear on Friday another petition for holding elections to the archery federation as per the sports ministry’s norms.