National Sports Bill will end stagnation, bring in transparency: IOA chief PT Usha
Usha had opposed the bill last year, calling it government interference and warning that India could face a ban from the International Olympic Committee. However, she has since revised her stance after extensive consultations with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya."Let me take you back to 1984, I was just 20 when I missed an Olympic medal in Los Angeles. That day my heart broke... there was no comprehensive sports law to support the dreams that we carried in our hearts."Since then four decades passed, there was nothing done to address the stagnant status quo... Today the hope has transformed into action and legislation. It is a visionary and long overdue bill," she said."This bill will usher in transparency, accountability, and gender parity. It will empower athletes and build confidence among sponsors and federations. It is about justice and fair-play," Usha added.She emphasised that the bill's focus on creating a structured administrative set-up would be crucial to India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics."This legislation comes at a time when India is dreaming big, dreaming for its rightful share in global sporting fraternity by hosting the 2036 Olympics. For Bharat, it is not just a bill, it is a clarion call for action," she said."This bill is a critical pillar of a grand vision. Let us see this as a moral promise, a promise that athletes will no longer be let down by an apathetic system. As someone who ran bare foot on clay tracks... I can say that this bill will change lives," she said.Usha also voiced her backing for the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, which reasserts the operational independence of the National Anti-Doping Agency while creating a National Anti-Doping Board to advise on procedural issues."It is through such effective legislation that we can bring a new culture of clean sports. This bill will illuminate the athletes' path with clarity," Usha said.- EndsMust Watch
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Indian Express
an hour ago
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Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
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