Find solution to avoid hobbling pace frontline
Even if India win at Manchester, they need to ponder whether to play Bumrah in the fifth and final Test. This brings the attention to the BCCI Centre of Excellence, where contracted players report after injury. Last year, the BCCI introduced an Athlete Monitoring System, which the centre uses to monitor the skills and fitness of every player who attends camps. These reports are available to the state associations to monitor the athletes' readiness against the workload. Yet, the injuries keep coming. Perhaps it's time for the BCCI to reassess their mechanism for monitoring— the earlier it's done, the better.
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
New clause could leave BCCI out of RTI ambit
New Delhi: A proposed amendment to the newly-introduced National Sports Governance Bill 2025 being circulated among Members of Parliament could put the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) outside the purview of the Right to Information Act since it doesn't receive grants or financial assistance from the central or state governments. BCCI will have to be registered as a National Sports Federation and follow the provisions of the Bill. (Hindustan Times via Getty Images) The bill, which seeks to bring in reforms in governance of Indian sports bodies, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 23 by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and is yet to be taken up for discussion in the House, amid a continuing stand-off over the Opposition's demand over a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The clause 15 (2) of the bill states, 'A recognised sports organisation shall be considered as a public authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005 with respect to the exercise of its functions, duties and powers under this Act.' A new clause that is being inserted into the bill clarifies what constitutes a public authority. 'A recognised sports organisation, receiving grants or any other financial assistance from the Central Government under sub-section (1) or from a State Government, shall be considered as a public authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005, with respect to utilisation of such grants or any other financial assistance.' HT has seen a copy of the bill. Under the RTI Act, a public authority is a body 'established, constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the Central Government or the Union Territory administration, the Central Government; or by the State Government.' According to people aware of the development, 'The amendment was done just to bring the bill in line with the RTI Act, 2005. BCCI might not take financial grants from the government but they do take government assistance such as infrastructure, subsidised land, state facilities, etc.' The cash rich BCCI has long resisted being brought under the RTI Act. The powerful sports body never required government recognition as a National Sports Federation as BCCI manages its own finances. However, with cricket is now an Olympic sport as part of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games and the Bill is seen as part of preparatyions for making a bid to host the 2036 Games. In 2018, Chief Information Commission (CIC) held the BCCI as the public authority under RTI Act, and put in place a system of online and offline mechanisms to receive applications for information under RTI Act. The Ministry of Youth And Sports Affairs was directed to take necessary steps to ensure implementation of this order. However, BCCI filed a writ petition in the Madras high court which granted a stay order. BCCI will still have to be registered as a National Sports Federation and follow the provisions of the Bill. If the Bill becomes law, it will be the first time that BCCI will become a designated 'NSF.' BCCI will have to seek recognition from the National Sports Board (NSB) and refer its legal cases to the National Sports Tribunal, both proposed in the sports Bill. According to the Bill, the National Sports Board shall have the power to grant recognition to any sports organisation as 'National Sports Body.' The NSB can suspend or cancel recognition of the sports body or its affiliate units if the provisions of the act are violated or in case it 'failed to hold elections for its Executive Committee or has committed' or there were 'gross irregularities in the election procedures.' It can also act if the federation 'failed to publish annual audited accounts or misused, misapplied or misappropriated public funds.' The NSB shall consult the respective global governing body before taking any such decision, stated the Bill. There is another proposed amendment that states a person shall not be qualified to contest for election in a federation or seek nomination to the posts of the president, secretary general or treasurer unless previously served as a member for 'at least one full term in the executive committee of the national sports body or as the president, or the secretary general or the treasurer in its affiliate unit.' In the original Bill, the duration a person needed to serve for the top three posts was two full terms as member of the executive committee. This restrictive clause, however, doesn't apply for the Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit (SOM), according to the proposed amendment.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘I was never the villain, I was made into one': Oval pitch curator who irked Gautam Gambhir after epic India vs England encounter
India came back from a seemingly hopeless situation to win the Oval Test and draw the five-match series against England 2-2. It marked the end of a series that was filled with incidents. While most of it happened on the field, India head coach Gautam Gambhir's argument with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis before the start of the fifth Test was easily the most prominent off-field flare-up over the course of the series. Gambhir firing angry words at Fortis is what went viral first and the Indian head coach received some criticism for his choice of words to describe the latter's profession. However, details later emerged about what it is that irked Gambhir so much and that led to Fortis being accused of favouring England at best and having a colonial mindset towards the Indians at worst. The track that Fortis and his ground staff prepared, and maintained admirably in a Test that was frequently interrupted by rain, coughed up a thriller, though, with India winning it by just six runs – their lowest margin of victory by runs in Test cricket. 'Well, I was never the villain, I was made into one,' Fortis is quoted as saying by PTI. 'Hope you guys enjoyed the show and the atmosphere was like the IPL. It was a great game.' Indian head coaches Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak were asked by Fortis, through a messenger, to stay 2.5 metres away from the playing surface. He also shouted at the Indian support staff to not take a 'cooler' to the ground. Batting coach Kotak, who was close to the action and played the pacifier when an animated Gambhir was talking to Fortis, gave details about the net session altercation. 'When we went to see the pitch, we were asked by someone to keep a 2.5-metre distance. This was surprising. The Test would be in a few days and we were wearing joggers. So it felt a bit odd. We all have been on the ground enough, we have played so much cricket. Curators are possessive about the ground and the square but they need to understand that they are speaking to highly skilled and intelligent people.' Kotak said.
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
BCCI To Become To Come Under New Sports Bill, RTI Scope Narrowed
When Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha on July 23, 2025, it had a sweeping clause stating that 'a recognised sports organisation shall be considered a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005 with respect to the exercise of its functions, duties, and powers under this Act." However, in a revised version now being circulated among MPs, Clause 15(2) has been altered to state: 'A recognised sports organisation, receiving grants or any other financial assistance from the Central Government… or from a State Government, shall be considered a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005, with respect to utilisation of such grants or any other financial assistance." This subtle yet impactful shift means that sports bodies, including the BCCI, which operate without any financial assistance from the government, will not fall under the RTI Act—thereby maintaining their operational opacity. In spite of these relaxations, the bill mandates a minimum representation of sportspersons in the executive body of every NSF. This includes two athletes of outstanding merit, two members from the athlete committee, and at least four women—an effort to bring athlete voices into the decision-making process. Despite escaping the RTI net, the BCCI will now have to register itself as a National Sports Federation (NSF)—a first for the influential cricket body. With cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, this registration is now mandatory under the Olympic Charter. This paves the way for India's cricket team to participate officially in Olympic events. Key benefits for BCCI Key benefits for BCCI under the New Legislation include Longer Tenures, Greater Stability, as the proposed bill allows sports administrators to enjoy longer terms, relaxing the current Supreme Court-mandated limits of three terms and a maximum age of 70 years. This is seen as a strategic advantage for India, particularly in securing stronger representation in global bodies like the International Cricket Council (ICC), and aligns with India's long-term Olympic ambitions—including the bid for hosting the 2036 Games. It also streamlined dispute redressal as BCCI-related disputes will now fall under the jurisdiction of the National Sports Tribunal, offering a single-window mechanism for resolution. This change will cut down on litigation in multiple courts and provide a faster route to the Supreme Court for appeals. However, matters falling exclusively under the ICC or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will remain outside the Tribunal's ambit. The BCCI will no longer require the Supreme Court's approval for constitutional amendments—providing flexibility in operations and policy decisions. It can also restructure its Apex Council to align with ICC statutes, without the mandatory inclusion of external members. Though financially self-sufficient, BCCI's recognition as an NSF may make it eligible for certain government benefits, including logistical support for Olympic preparation.
