NSFs are run by politicians who don`t know about sports: Maken

Sports Minister Ajay Maken said that some national federations are being run by "politicians and office bearers who don`t know anything about sports".

New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Tuesday said that some national federations are being run by

"politicians and office bearers who don`t know anything about sports" and praised the athletes who had brought laurels to the country in spite of "a poor administrative system". At a felicitation function of 15 sportspersons who have done the country proud by winning Gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, Maken said the Indian athletes have the potential to achieve much more but it was necessary to clean up the administrative system first. "We have won 38 Gold medals in CWG and 14 Gold in Asian Games but it is just the beginning. Our athletes have the potential to win many more. But for that it is extremely necessary to clean up the administrative system," said Maken. "We have some politicians and office bearers who don`t know anything about sports but still heading federations, so the fact that these sportspersons have achieved so much despite being within such a poor system is remarkable," he said after launching 22nd edition of Limca Book of Records, which is a Sports Achievers` Special edition that recognises the performance of Indian sporting personalities. He said National Sports Federations should be headed by those having sports background and not by politicians and others who have no knowledge of sports. "Sports Federations should be run by the sportspersons and not by the politicians and the office bearers. There should be 25 per cent of the sport personalities who should play more important role in deciding who should govern them," said Maken. "There should be complete transparency. A retired High Court judge should be overlooking all the elections of the Federations," he added. Present on the occasion were the Gold medallists of CWG and Asian Games, including boxers Vijender Singh and Suranjoy Singh, wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Alka Tomar, shuttler Jwala Gutta, weightlifter Renu Bala Chanu, 400m hurdler Ashwini Akkunji, long distance runner Preeja Sreedharan, discus thrower Krishna Poonia and rower Bajrang Lal Takhar. Somdev Devvarman (tennis), Deepika Kumari (Archery), Sarath Kamal Achanta (table tennis), Gagan Narang and Anisa Sayyed (both shooters) could not be make it to the function. Former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay, five-time world champion boxer MC Mary Kom and Shiva Kesavan (Winter Games Olympian) were also present on the occasion and extended their appreciation towards the Sports Minister for trying to bring about a change in Indian sports. PTI