National Sports Governance Act: Establishment of National Sports Board and Tribunal

Key facts

• The Sports Ministry (SM) announced that the "Central Government has appointed 1st January, 2026 as the date on which the provisions" of the National Sports Governance Act shall partially come into force.
• The Act paves the way for the "institution of an all-powerful National Sports Board (NSB) and a Tribunal to handle sporting disputes."
• Under the new framework, National Sports Federations (NSFs) "will be required to have Executive Committees of no more than 15 members with at least two Sportspersons of Merit in them."
• The NSB is proposed to be a "three-member body" with the power to "grant affiliation to the National Sports Federations (NSFs)," monitor financial operations, and penalize wrongdoing.
• The "age cap for all members of the NSB has been fixed at 65," while members of the National Sports Tribunal (NST) will "hold office for four years with an age cap of 67 years."
• It is mandatory for NSFs "to take NSB affiliation to be eligible for government funding."