‘Legal framework must for sports governance’

Ahmedabad: Legal experts, sports body officials, and industry members participated in the second International Conference on Sports Law in the Global South, organized by the Centre for Sports and Entertainment Law at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU). The two-day conference was inaugurated on Friday.In his speech, S Shanthakumar, director of GNLU, said that with the recent notification of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, India is witnessing major institutional reforms aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and professional governance in sport. "With India preparing to host the Commonwealth Games 2030 and pursuing a bid to host the Olympic Games, he observed that examining sports law through the lens of the Global South is both timely and necessary," he said.Aditi Singh, director of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Gandhinagar, was the chief guest at the event. In her speech on the theme, ‘Sports Law and India's Olympic Vision', she said that sports now includes governance, law, economics, and social empowerment. "Sports law plays a critical role in addressing challenges commonly faced by countries in the Global South," she said, adding that the framework will help address issues of athlete rights, doping, and adherence to international standards.Members from various sports boards were also part of the event. tnn