Need transparency in sports: Maken

Advocating the need for a National Sports Policy to ensure transparency in federations, Sports Minister Ajay Maken disapproved the involvement of politicians in the running of these bodies.

Shillong: Advocating the need for a National Sports Policy to ensure transparency in federations, Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Thursday disapproved the involvement of politicians in the running of these bodies.

Asserting the proposed National Sports Bill will take care of all "malpractices", Maken told reporters "we need more transparency in sports federations. Sportsmen should decide who should be the office bearers and regulate them (federations)." Maken, who was talking to reporters after inaugurating the second North East Youth Festival, said National Sports Federations should be headed by sportspersons and not by politicians. "Sports federations should be run by the sportspersons and not by the politicians. Sports personalities should decide who will govern them," said Maken. He said the draft of the National Sports Bill has been put on the website and the government was preparing to move ahead after considering some 10,000 odd suggestions that have been received. Elaborating on the proposed National Sports Bill which was tabled in the Parliament during the Budget Session, the minister said the bill will be strict on the tenure and age policy. "A person should not be holding a position in the federation above the age of 70. The tenure of the President should not be more than 12 years and other office-bearers not more than eight years," Maken said.The bill will address many grievances of the players, Maken said. However, Maken said, the bill will apply only to National Sports Federations, as sports is a state subject and the centre cannot regulate it. The government wants elections to the sports bodies through secret ballot, he said. "All such elections should be supervised by a retired high court judge as a returning officer. Electoral rolls should be published ahead of the elections and all proceedings should be recorded so that it is transperant," Maken said. PTI