Sports ministry denies recognition to Indian cricket board, Hockey India

The union sports ministry has not accorded its annual recognition to 14 national sports federations, including the Indian cricket board and Hockey India.

New Delhi: The union sports ministry has not accorded its annual recognition to 14 national sports federations (NSF), including the Indian cricket board and Hockey India.

Among the 51 recognised sports bodies, outfits for little-heard-of sports like atya-patya, ten-pin bowling, tug of war, shooting ball, jump rope, and tennikoit have been accorded recognition. Laudably, among other sports federations that have been recognised are those for sports for the deaf, and the sports for mentally challenged. The stand-off between the Board of Control and Cricket in India (BCCI) and the sports ministry is too well known and it is no surprise it does not find a place in the list of recognised NSFs for 2011. However, the tennis ball cricket federation finds the pride of place. While 10 NSFs have not been recognised for non-compliance of government guidelines, four - namely hockey, netball, throwball and gymnastics - have been de-recognised for internal disputes and mismanagement. Sports Minister Ajay Maken, responding to an unstarred question by Nilesh Rane and M. Jagannath in the Lok Sabha said Tuesday that only the federations which met the government`s criteria were given the recognition. "NSFs of hockey, netball, throwball and gymnastics have not been granted annual recognition due to dispute between various factions in the management of those federations," Maken told the Lok Sabha. The other debarred federations include the BCCI, Judo Federation of India, Aero Club of India, Bridge Federation of India, Korfball Federation of India, Indian Polo Association, Triathlon Federation of India, Mallakhamb Federation, Federation of Motor Sports Club of India and Indian Style Wrestling. Explaining the reasons for the de-recognition, Maken said: "They have not been granted recognition for non-compliance of government guidelines, non-submission of complete documents, etc." The 14 NSFS, therefore, were not eligible for any financial or any other assistance from the government, he said. IANS