Sports Ministry grants provisional recognition to IUSF; doubt now on AIU’s role in university sports

The AIU, which has been the nodal body for university-level sport in India, has come under fire for administrative lapses during the World University Games last year, where six badminton players were barred from participating due to failure to submit names on time. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Sports Ministry has granted provisional recognition to the Indian Unisports Federation (IUSF) as a National Sports Federation for the development of university sport.

The Ministry relaxed several conditions for IUSF, including the minimum of three years of existence, at least 50 per cent district-level affiliates and recognition from the world body. IUSF now has six months to secure FISU affiliation and bring its constitution in line with the National Sports Governance Act.

The move puts a question mark over the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which was issued a show-cause notice in January over administrative lapses.

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These lapses include those from last year’s World University Games in Germany, where six of India’s 12 badminton players could not compete because their names were not submitted on time.

The AIU was not just responsible for conducting university-level national and zonal competitions for both men and women, but also for coordinating with NSF in talent identification programmes.

It was also responsible for conducting the Khelo India University Games in coordination with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and this year’s event had drawn criticism for a lack of anti-doping measures and last-minute pullouts.