NSF’s should be run by sportspersons: Maken

“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.

Elaborating on the proposed National Sports Bill which was tabled in the Parliament during the Budget Session,the minister said it would be apt for the NSFs to follow the same age and tenure norms as is been specified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “A person should not be holding a position in the federation above the age of 70. There should also be tenure set for president as not more than 12 years and other office bearers as not more than eight years. These are certain rules,those must be followed,” said Maken.

He also said that the draft bill put up on the website of the sports ministry more than a month ago,has got a lot of response. “We have received about 9200 responses so far. We will take another two weeks to go through all those suggestions and then move ahead.”

When asked about the VK Shunglu Committee report inquiring into the Commonwealth Games corruption cases,Maken said,“We are looking after it and appropriate action would be taken. The guilty will be punished.”