New Delhi, May 11:
The Sports Ministry today granted recognition to 54 national federations till September this year, leaving out the governing bodies of archery, golf, gymnastics and paralympics among others.
In the revised list, the ministry granted fresh recognition to the All India Carrom Federation.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Rowing Federation of India (RFI) and School Games Federation of India (SGFI) were the ones denied affiliation.
While the PCI initially found a place in the 2019 annual recognition list, it was de-recognised by the ministry in September last year for violating the National Sports Code.
PCI Secretary General Gursharan Singh said that the PCI could not submit some important documents to the sports ministry due to the lockdown and that was why it was not given recognition.
“Our election was validated by Delhi High Court on January 27 and after that we had to collect some important documents from various officials and so it took time. Then the lockdown began and we could not apply for recognition,” Singh said.
Just like PCI, the RFI and the Sushil Kumar-led SGFI too were part of 2019 list but were de-recognised earlier this year for violating the 2011 National Sports Code and mismanagement respectively.
The ministry also continued to deny recognition to the Archery Association of India (AAI), the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) and the Taekwondo Federation of India.
Even though a new dispensation under union minister Arjun Munda took over the reigns of AAI earlier this year but the ministry recognition could not be obtained as it failed to change its Constitution because of the coronavirus-forced national lockdown.
It may be noted that AAI was banned by World Archery in August last year for defying its guidelines by electing two parallel bodies. The suspension was lifted conditionally in January this year, a week after it went to polls where Munda was elected as the president.
The national golf federation also continued to be de-recognised by the ministry for failing to conduct its Annual General Meeting and hold elections as per the National Sports Code.
Surprisingly, the GFI too did not find favour with the ministry despite holding its election in November last year, where former Competition Commission of India chairman Sudhir Mittal and Shaktikumar Singh were elected president and secretary general respectively. The GFI was de-recognised by the ministry in 2012.
The TFI, meanwhile, remained de-recognised for factionalism and mismanagement.
While recognition to NSFs is usually annual, this time the ministry has decided to offer it only till September this year, prompting questions from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra.
Sports Ministry officials did not immediately respond to calls for an explanation on the matter.
Ministry’s recognition is of great significance to small NSFs as they mostly depend on the government’s yearly funding to manage their day-to-day expenses. (PTI)
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