Olympians ask for Lodha reforms to be implemented in their sports

Unlike the BCCI, all other sports federations depend directly on the government for funding.

Twenty eight Olympians have filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the recommendations made by the Justice Lodha Committee for cricket be incorporated into all other sports in the country. The PIL has been filed in the wake of the Supreme Court passing its final order, after it accepted its specially appointed Justice Lodha Committee’s suggestions for sweeping reforms in the BCCI.

Unlike the BCCI, all other sports federations depend directly on the government for funding.

Some of the key recommendation made by the Lodha panel include disclosure of assets by players and officials, a maximum of three terms for office-bearers with no more than two consecutive terms, exclusion of minister’s or government servants in a sports body and inclusion under RTI, among others.

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The petitioners include Ashok Kumar Dhyan Chand, MK Kaushik, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Nachappa, Edward Sequeira, GE Sridharan, Reeth Abraham, Gurbax Singh Grewal, Balbir Singh, Fortunato Franco, S S Narayan, Joaquim Carvalho, Vandana Rao, Pravin Thipsay, Bhagyasree Thipsay, Maya Meher, Nisha Millet, Aloysius Edwards, Madhu Yadav, Kirti Azad, Bishen Singh Bedi, Sameer Bahadur, KPS Gill, Ashok Mathur and Virender Kumar.

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“Since all the sports associations other than the BCCI fall within the remit of the Central Government, the Sports Ministry of Central Government can pass an order seeking the implementation of some of the recommendation of the Justice Lodha Committee in so far as other sports bodies are concerned,” the petitioners said in a release. “The petition is seeking a positive direction from the Hon’ble Court for the incorporation of some of the recommendations in other sports bodies.