New Delhi: “Put the interest of the nation first and shed your egos if you truly wish for India to become a global sporting powerhouse,” said Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, delivering a forceful message to the country’s national sports federations (NSFs).His statement comes after recurrent instances where NSFs have engaged in factionalism, misgovernance, and financial impropriety, which in turn have led to ongoing court cases and the formation of ad-hoc committees.At the ‘Khelo Bharat Conclave’ organised here on Thursday, Mandaviya met representatives of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), NSFs, corporates, and top sports administrators for a day-long brainstorming session. The minister outlined India’s medal strategy for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games — aiming for a finish among the top 10 nations in the world — and discussed the efforts needed to make the country a sporting force by 2047.“Sport is a public movement. We can set goals and achieve them only if we all work together. We have to shed our egos, focus on comprehensive planning, and convert plans into substantial output,” Mandaviya said in his keynote address.Mandaviya put the onus on the NSFs to take the lead and begin the process of good governance on a war footing. Among other topics, critical discussions were held on the upcoming ‘National Sports Governance Bill’, which will be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament starting July 21. While athletes remain at the heart of the Khelo Bharat Niti (national sports policy), the government highlighted how federations, state governments, and corporate houses must play a major role in ensuring India finishes among the top 10 nations in the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics.“We need to assess at once where we are and where we want to go. To begin with, I urge the NSFs to provide me with a five-year policy by August, and then we can develop a 10-year plan. With the Asian Games in 2026, we need a holistic approach because we not only want to win medals at the Olympics but also make sports a commercial property — where we can invite the world to come and play in India and boost sports tourism,” he said.The discussions also revolved around producing quality coaches, grooming sports administrators, developing the sports goods business, and controlling the menace of doping. “We are happy to provide all support to NSFs, but going forward, we will also start looking at performance-based grants. This will ensure that we are focused and serious with our planning and how we run the game,” he added. The ministry urged NSFs to prepare a proper calendar of events so that athletes do not suffer logistical issues.Mandaviya informed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA — football’s global governing body — and international federations (IFs) were deeply consulted during the drafting stage of the governance bill to incorporate their suggestions and work on the objections raised. The minister said he even held discussions with former sports minister and Congress leader Ajay Maken, who was instrumental in the passage of the National Sports Development Code of India in 2011.“IOC was consulted as well, along with IFs. FIFA had a query, and I sent an officer to their headquarters to discuss it with them. The bill is now ready. I did a series of consultations with NSFs, athletes, coaches and also received 600 inputs from the public when the draft was put online for suggestions. I also had a three-hour meeting with sports lawyers to understand their perspective,” he said.
