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National Sports Federations set to get office space at stadiums in Delhi

Only a token rent will be charged, said a sports ministry source; The need for office space was discussed when the sports ministry consulted NSFs during the planning of the draft sports bill.

The sports ministry has decided that for a token rent amount, space will be leased out to NSFs at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Thyagraj Stadium, and Talkatora Stadium. (Express Photo by Pritish Raj)

The sports ministry plans to provide office space to the recognized National Sports Federations (NSFs) in the stadiums owned by Central Government in Delhi. For a token rent amount, space will be leased out to NSFs at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Thyagraj Stadium, and Talkatora Stadium, a ministry source said.

“Yes, the ministry plans to give office space to all the federations in the capital city. It is part of our plan to assist the sports federations,” the sports ministry source told The Indian Express. “We used to receive requests and complaints from the NSFs about lack of office for smooth functioning and hence, we decided to assist them,” the source added.

The issue was also raised when the ministry consulted the NSFs during the planning of the draft sports bill, which is expected to be tabled in the parliament soon. “During our meeting with NSFs for the consultation of the draft sports bill, this was one of the issues discussed and after talking with the federations, we decided to pursue the idea,” the source said. Earlier, many federations struggled to get office space in the stadiums due to high rent.

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The National Anti-Doping Agency moved to an office within the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium a few years back.

Committee to assist NSFs

The sports ministry has constituted a six-member committee to revise the norms for providing financial assistance to NSFs keeping in mind the country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics. In the latest annual budget, the NSF’s were entitled to a Rs 400 crore assistance from the ministry, which is a marginal increase from the Rs 340 crore allocated last year.

The committee would be headed by joint secretary (sports) Kunal, and includes executive director (Teams) Ritu Pathik, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO NS Johal, former TOPS CEO commodore (Retd) PK Garg, and president of Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Sahdev Yadav.

“A new Olympic Cycle has started which necessitated the need for review of the norms in view of the evolving circumstances, which demand a comprehensive review to address the emerging challenges and India’s aspiration to host 2036 Olympic Games,” read the circular in possession with the Indian Express. The committee is to submit its report in two weeks.

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Last November, India submitted a ‘Letter of Intent’ to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission.