Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), revealed that they will evaluate the National Sports Governance Bill, which is set to be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, before providing their thoughts on it.

According to Sports Ministry sources, the planned National Sports Governance Bill 2025, which is anticipated to be submitted during Parliament's monsoon session, seeks to incorporate the BCCI inside its jurisdiction.

Although the BCCI does not receive government financing, its inclusion in the bill was expected, especially given the Indian cricket team's planned participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“We will have to study the bill after it’s introduced. Only then can I express my views on it,” Shukla refused to comment on the bill when asked by ANI.

The BCCI, which is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act of 1975, oversees all aspects of cricket in India, both domestically and internationally.

Currently, the BCCI is not one of the 45 recognized national sports federations. If the Indian cricket board falls under the bill's purview, it may also be subject to the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

According to officials, the National Sports Governance Bill seeks to address issues like the lack of a dedicated dispute resolution forum, the gender imbalance in sports leadership, the lack of a standard electoral process across federations, the frequent litigation over NSF elections and athlete selections, and the lack of adequate athlete representation in federations.  

The bill also aims to address the absence of internal grievance redressal procedures, financial opacity, and poor governance in NSFs.

By requiring athlete representation in decision-making processes, the bill aims to create a legislative foundation for the open and equitable management of sports organizations. It aims to guarantee fair and transparent elections through the election panel and prompt dispute resolution through the Sports Tribunal. According to officials, the government will act as a facilitator rather than a controller.

(ANI inputs)