The uncertainty over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s presidency could end once the National Sports Governance Bill is introduced in Parliament on Wednesday and passed during the Monsoon session.
The BCCI, like other national sports federations (NSF), will come under its purview and will be required to take recognition from the proposed national sports board (NSB) even though it is not reliant on government funding. This is because an Act of Parliament will apply to all.
The NSB will have sweeping powers to grant and even suspend recognition of federations based on complaints or “its own motion” for violations ranging from electoral irregularities to financial misappropriation.
The BCCI has become a part of the Olympic movement after cricket was included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games where it will be played in the T20 format.
The long-awaited Sports Governance Bill seeks to form a strong framework for timely elections, administrative accountability, athlete welfare and reduction in litigation through a slew of measures.
Once passed by the Parliament it could end the confusion over the BCCI presidency with incumbent Roger Binny having turned 70 on Saturday, the upper age limit for any office-bearer as per its constitution framed by the Justice Lodha Committee.
Binny should vacate office in the circumstances with vice-president Rajeev Shukla automatically succeeding him. But the BCCI has remained quiet and it’s likely that Binny will remain in office at least till the next annual general meeting in September.
The Bill makes some concessions on the thorny issue of age cap of administrators by allowing those in the bracket of 70 to 75 to contest elections if the concerned international bodies do not object. In electoral matters, the Bill will accept the “supremacy” of the Olympic Charter and the statutes of the international federations.
The International Cricket Council’s constitution has no age restrictions, so it will allow Binny to continue as president for another three years, if not five. The powers-that-be in the BCCI favour Binny continuing for another term.
The proposed NSB will comprise a chairperson, and its members will be appointed by the central government from “amongst persons of ability, integrity and standing.”
As per the draft Bill, Chapter II under National Sports Bodies sub clause (2) (e), the age-cap tenure rule is specified.
“A person shall not be qualified to contest election or seek, nomination to, the executive committee, unless that person complies with International Charters and Statutes and Bye-Laws relating to age and term of the executive committee:
“Provided that person shall not be more than 70 years of age on the last date of the nomination for election:
“Provided further that any person aged between 70 and 75 years may contest elections or seek nominations if permitted by the international charters and statutes and the bye-laws and in such case, person elected shall serve full term.”
As was mentioned in the draft released last year, the Board will have the power to grant recognition to NSFs and even constitute ad-hoc panels to run individual sports in case an NSF is suspended.
It would also be mandated to “collaborate” with the International Sports Bodies for welfare of athletes in India and to issue guidelines to NSFs for ensuring compliance with international standards.
All these duties have so far been the domain of the IOA.
Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya has claimed that the IOC has been duly consulted while drafting the document.
The BCCI has maintained silence on the issue.
A top official said that clarity will emerge in the next few days though there is a possibility that Binny will continue for now, without needing to sign any official document.
There is a viewpoint within the BCCI that the president’s chair should ideally be held by a former cricketer, as was the case with Binny and his predecessor, Sourav Ganguly.
Perhaps once the bill is passed, the BCCI will decide on its course of action.
With inputs from PTI