Limited tenure for sports bosses

New Delhi: Politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen who have been occupying the top posts in various national sports federations for more than a decade will have to step down after their current term expires.

The Sports Ministry has modified a 1975 regulation that suggests Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi and several NSF chiefs including V K Malhotra and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa cannot seek a re-election after their present term expires.

The Ministry said it has decided to restore the modified tenure clause to encourage professional management, good governance, and transparency in sports federations including the IOA.

Here is a list of the people who have been holding the top posts in various sports organisations for more than a decade:

- Suresh Kalmadi has been the President of Indian Olympic Association since 1996.

- BJP leader V K Malhotra has been head of the Archery Association of India for more than three decades.

- Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's reign as the Cycling Federation of India is into its 14th year.

- VK Verma, a bureaucrat, has been at the helm of the Badminton Association of India for 12 years.

- Congress leader Captain Satish K Sharma has headed the Aero Club for 24 years.

- B S Adityan, a businessman, has been at the helm of the Volleyball Federation of India for 12 years.

The Ministry said all previous efforts to limit the tenure met stiff resistance from national sports federations, who cited the autonomy provided to them in the Olympic Charter.

The Ministry, on its past, cited a 2009 Delhi High Court observation that the tenure clause is not a violation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter.

The Sports Ministry said it has examined and found that major international sports bodies, including that of hockey, badminton and swimming, have their own tenure limit.

Reckoning that the modified clause brings NSF tenure regulation in line with that of IOC, the Ministry said, "The above mentioned tenure limit shall come into operation with immediate effect for all elections conducted henceforth."

The current NSF and IOA management was challenged in a Public Interest Litigation filed before the Delhi High Court, which has expressed deep concern at the long indecisiveness of the Government on this critical issue, the Ministry said.

(With agency inputs)