BODY BLOW
   Date :29-Jun-2020

National Sports Federatio
 
 
ALREADY battered by the coronavirus pandemic that brought sporting activities to a grinding halt, the embattled National Sports Federations (NSFs) were dealt a body blow when the Union Sports Ministry withdrew provisional annual recognition granted to 54 NSFs on the directive of the Delhi High Court. The decision has sent shivers down the spine of a huge chunk of athletes whose primary hopes of earning a good performance in post-COVID phase depend totally on Government assistance to the bodies for training and other needs. The Sports Ministry move has led to an unprecedented situation where no NSF in the country will have government recognition.
 
While the Delhi High Court has gone by the rule book to order a status quo on the renewal of recognition of the federations following non-compliance of its earlier orders, the decision has come at a critical stage when athletes were looking forward to resume training after the unlocking of routine life. It will have an adverse impact on India’s preparations for the Olympics to be held in Tokyo in 2021. The annual recognition makes NSFs eligible for Government grants and assistance for training. Now that it has been put on hold till September 30 there is a possibility of another forced lockdown on sporting activities in the country. The NSFs have their own reasons for failing to complete the formalities.
 
The COVID pandemic and lockdown in the entire country had stalled majority of works. The NSFs could have been given a deadline to complete formalities before any action is taken. Veteran sports administrators have rightly sounded alarm bells in wake of the sports ministry’s move. The decision can badly affect the preparation and training of sportspersons of all Olympics sports as the Sports Ministry grants funding and permission only to recognised NSFs for national camps and international tournaments. Once sporting activities resume in full tilt and preparation for Olympics begin, the present stand-off can delay administrative decisions for want of government recognition.
 
This in turn will severely hamper training of the athletes. NSFs have been through these things earlier too. But the action was reserved for a couple of non-performing bodies, whose commitment towards the game and its players was in question. There is no denying the fact that some of the federations have become fiefdoms of a selected few. The Sports Ministry had taken care of this menace. The present situation is, however, quite different from those sporadic cases. Entire sporting structure in the country is now facing an uncertain future. It is time the Ministry takes steps to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.