India stands at the cusp of a sporting revolution. The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, passed by Parliament, is not just a legislation—it’s the most transformational reform in the last 50 years, aimed towards improving sports administration, ushering in transparency, giving athletes a voice and increasing our chances of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.

For decades, Indian sports suffered from opaque administration, vested interests, corruption and a lack of accountability. This law, shepherded by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and conceived by the Modi government, promises to transform India’s sporting ecosystem by bringing in a global standard and athlete-centric governance. It is the most decisive step towards making India a sporting powerhouse.

Indian sports have long been shackled by misgovernance. The 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal laid bare the rot—federations operating as personal fiefdoms, elections marred by disputes, funds misused and athletes sidelined from decision-making. The absence of a national and codified legal framework allowed power hungry, corrupt administrators to cling to power, while stifling talent and real progress.

The idea of a sports governance law isn’t new but lack of political will and neglect meant that this effort was never taken forward earnestly during UPA tenure. In 2011, then-Sports Minister Ajay Maken drafted a National Sports Development........

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