The sports ministry, headed by Mansukh Mandaviya, on Monday decided that national sports federations (NSFs), which are due to hold elections in the coming months, will be allowed to defer them until December 2026 to draft in the changes required for the implementation of the National Sports Governance (NSG) Act.
The NSG Act is likely to come into force from January. The sports bill was passed in the Parliament in August.
The draft rules for the Act’s implementation are in the final stages of being locked after legal consultation.
The most awaited NSF election next year is the one due in the All India Football Federation (AIFF), headed by Kalyan Chaubey. The present dispensation’s term ends in September.
It remains to be seen if the AIFF will take the three-month cushion, subject to approval of its general body. If elections are not held, citing the ministry’s leeway, Fifa may see it as government intervention.
“Yes, there is a chance. Fifa is very strict, even if there is a hint that a government is meddling with the work of a member association,” a source said.
“Ideally, the federation should try to align its constitution with the Act before September. There is a lot of time,” he added.
The PT Usha-led Indian Olympic Association is also due to go to polls in December next year. Elections are also due in Hockey India, helmed by Olympian and former captain Dilip Tirkey.
“Compliance requirements under NSG Act, 2025, necessitate adequate preparation time for NSFs to establish robust electoral structure and procedures, and alignment of the Constitution/Bye-laws of NSFs with the NSG Act,” stated a letter from the ministry to all the NSFs and the IOA.