New regulation will make sports transparent: Gill

The new government regulation, limiting the tenure of sports administrators, will lead to transparency and professionalism, Sports Minister MS Gill said on Sunday.

Gill on Sunday modified a 1975 regulation under which National Sports Federation Presidents cannot occupy office for more than 12 years, with or without break, while a Secretary or a Treasurer can serve two terms of four years each but will have to take a four-year break before seeking re-election.

Even though the NSF chiefs criticised the move, Gill said the regulation would go a long way to streamline Indian sports.

"I passed this order in confidence that it will serve the best interest of the sportspersons of the country and it will give an impetus to transparent and professional management of Indian sports in the new century," the Sports Minister said.

The 1975 regulation was kept in abeyance by the then Sports Minister Uma Bharti but Gill felt it was a wrong move.

"I am satisfied that the cryptic order, passed on 24.8.2002, by the then minister, blocking the perfectly valid and well considered regulations of 1975, served no public interest. I have, therefore, set it aside," Gill said.