2025 National Sports Governance Bill: Good governance will improve country’s medal tally at the Olympic Games, says Sports minister

All NSFs have to chalk out five and 10 years strategy plans to improve performance at global level.

Sports ministry plans to enhance India’s medal tally at the Olympic Games.

The 2025 National Sports Governance Bill is expected to envisage a new era in Indian sports administration. The Sports Bill however, has excluded BCCI out of RTI ambit!

“Good governance should significantly enhance India’s medal tally at the Olympic Games,” sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya in his speech said when the sports bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Nearly 24 hours after it was moved in the Lok Sabha, the National Sports Governance Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha today.

At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, India’s medal tally of six medals, including one silver through ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and five bronze medals was off the predicted tally Sports Authority of India (SAI) was expecting.

The 2025 National Sports Governance Bill says the sports minister will enhance India’s medal tally in further Olympic Games. “Due to lack of good governance in the past, it hampered development of sports in the country and inadvertently impacted performance of the Indian contingent at the global level, including Olympic Games,” the sports minister adds. “With 2025 New Sports Bill in force, it should enhance India’s medal tally at the Olympic Games.”

Incidentally, the wrangling between the officials of the IOA (Indian Olympic Association) was buried last week. The officials of the Apex Sports Body announced it will work in tandem for the development of sports.

The 2025 season features world championships in four Olympic disciplines. The Indian team’s performance in all four global events will certainly exhibit its potential as well as preparation for the 2026 Asian Games.

However, there is no comparison between India’s Asian Games medal tally and Olympic Games. Those winning medals at the continental games hardly make an impression at the Olympic Games. Though there are exceptions like javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra who has been consistent. 

It’s too early to say how the 2025 National Sports Governance Bill will affect the Indian medal tally at 2028 Los Angeles, which is three years from now?

There will be more transparency in running the day-to-day functioning of the NSF’s. Currently there are more than 300 legal cases in the court related to NSFs’.

Even the IOA had gone to court against the 2011 National Sports Code. The matter is still pending at the Supreme Court! The IOA has spent significant funds on legal battles in the past. The funds should have been used for development.

The 2025 Sports Bill has given birth to two new independent entities—The National Sports Tribunal and National Sports Election Panel.

The National Sports Tribunal will deal with legal disputes related to NSFs governance while the National Sports Election Panel will oversee elections procedure of the NSFs from time to time.

“The government will have no jurisdiction over the National Sports Tribunal or the National Sports Election Panel,” the sports minister says in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The new sports bill is also expected to give more teeth to the National Anti-Doping programme in the country. India is among the leading nations failing dope tests in the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) list. Around 260 athletes tested positive in 2024, this was based on the sports ministry response in Rajya Sabha.

Even the IOC (International Olympic Committee) flagged lack of robust anti doping measures in India when the government and IOA delegates met IOC officials in Lausanne, Switzerland.     

All the NSFs will have to chalk out a five years and 10 years strategy plan to improve India’s medal tally at the Olympic Games. “Sports ecosystem through government run Khelo India programmes has made a good impact,” the sports minister said on Tuesday during discussion in Rajya Sabha.