SC WANTS LODHA REFORMS IN OTHER SPORTS AS WELL

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the central government and various sports federations asking why the recommendations of the Justice Lodha committee for administrative reforms in BCCI should not be implemented in other sport bodies.

The Lodha panel was established by the Supreme Court to suggest reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s functioning following the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justices N.V. Ramana and D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice on the PIL filed by 28 eminent sportspersons for a direction to the Union Government to extend the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee on cricket reforms to all sports bodies. The Bench directed the matter to be tagged with the main BCCI case pending before a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra.

The petitioners, including Arjuna awardees said the administration of sports is engulfed with political influences, and corruption, which ultimately leads to the detriment of the sports concerned and affects the performance of the sportspersons, especially since it also leads to the lack of sports. Further, instances of sexual harassment have also caused women and girls to be discouraged from participating in sporting activities, they contended.

It was submitted that like in the game of cricket several oligarchies exist in other sports’ administration which is to the great detriment of the respective sports.

There is an urgent need to amend and rework the National Sports Code so as to ensure that sports administration is not treated as a self perpetuating business but instead must be for the betterment of the sports concerned.