Off-side: India’s sporting ambitions need better governance
Hosting international competitions is one measure of sporting ambition. Building accountable, professionally run federations is the harder task. | Photo Credit: PTI
Hosting international competitions is one measure of sporting ambition. Building accountable, professionally run federations is the harder task. | Photo Credit: PTI
India is no longer short of sporting ambition, with governments at both the Centre and in the States willing to bankroll sporting infrastructure and global events. Odisha’s longstanding investment in hockey, Tamil Nadu’s staging of the Chess Olympiad, Bihar’s hosting of the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey and Gujarat’s growing sporting footprint have showcased how State governments can bring major competitions to the country.
The Centre has also recently raised the ceiling on assistance to National Sport Federations for hosting eligible international competitions from Rs 2 crore to Rs 50 crore, alongside provisions to attract international sporting bodies to establish offices in India.
The country has already hosted the Junior Hockey World Cup, Asian Aquatics Championships and the World Para Athletics Championships, while the World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2028 and the Commonwealth Games in 2030 lie ahead.
But while governments are increasingly willing to invest in sport, many National Federations remain mired in administrative disputes, factional battles and litigation. Hockey India’s latest internal tussle between its president and secretary is a reminder that success in attracting international events does not necessarily translate into sound governance.
The National Sports Governance Act promises greater accountability through a National Sports Board and a tribunal to resolve disputes. Applications for appointments were invited months ago, and there should now be greater urgency in making these institutions fully operational.
There is also a strong case for professionalising federations by entrusting day-to-day operations to independently recruited CEOs. The government can make this mandatory for every NSF that receives a certain amount of State funding. Apart from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, most sporting federations still rely on government subsidies. Elected officials can provide strategic oversight, but professionals are needed to build the framework for sponsorship, broadcasting, grassroots competitions and sustainable revenue streams.
The revised guidelines also require federations to devote at least 20 per cent of their budgets to grassroots development. Here, accountability must go beyond utilisation certificates to measurable sporting and commercial outcomes.
As mentioned in the last column, India’s 85 medals at the Asian Games demonstrate both achievement and the need for greater competitive depth.
The government can finance a tournament and a State can build a stadium, but neither can replace a federation’s role in creating a thriving ecosystem. As India prepares to host the world, it is time for its federations to run sport professionally.
Published on Oct 21, 2026
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