IOA tells state bodies to align bye-laws with Sports Governance Act

IOA tells state bodies to align bye-laws with Sports Governance ActNew Delhi: In a decision that could lead to a major shake-up in Indian sports administration, one that could show several state Olympic association (SOA) patriarchs the door, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has issued an advisory to all its member national sports federations (NSFs) and state and UT Olympic bodies to align their constitutions and bye-laws with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, in conformity with the principles of the Olympic charter.

In a Jan 20, 2026 letter to member NSFs and SOAs, a copy of which is with TOI, the IOA has given a six-month deadline “to complete the process of amendment, adoption, and ratification of their revised constitutions and bye-laws as per the Act, failing to which may have implications under the Act, the rules framed thereunder and the applicable statutes, regulations and policies governing affiliation with the IOA”.



Describing itself as the “custodian and guardian” of the SOAs, the IOA has now extended the ambit of the Act to bring them under it. Earlier, SOAs were governed by their own constitution and bye-laws.

“All member NSFs and SOAs are, hereby, advised to undertake a comprehensive review of their constitutions, memoranda and bye-laws, and to carry out such amendments as may be necessary to bring them into full conformity with 1) the National Sports Governance Act, 2025; 2) the rules and guidelines notified by the Govt of India; 3) the fundamental principles of the Olympic charter, particularly those relating to good governance, athlete representation, and institutional integrity,” read the advisory.

The govt officially notified the Act on Aug 18, 2025 and brought some of its key provisions into effect on Jan 1, 2026. As a result of the IOA’s advisory – directing SOA members and state federations to amend their constitutions and bye-laws as per the Act – several office-bearers will have to relinquish their offices after governing them for years without any cooling-off period.

The Act mandated that key office-bearers, president, secretary general and treasurer, of national sports bodies could serve a maximum of three consecutive terms, 12 years total, with a mandatory cooling-off period of four years after these terms before re-election. The Act also imposed a strict age limit of a maximum of 70 years for office-bearers.

The changes could lead to a situation where half of the current SOA office-bearers would be wiped out.

Some of the major names affected included Anandeshwar Panday (UP Olympic association), Kuldeep Vats and Rakesh Gupta (Delhi), K Govindraj (Karnataka), I D Nanavati (Gujarat), R K Anand and Madhukant Pathak (Jharkhand), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Gurudatta Bhakta (Goa), and Rajesh Bhandari (Himachal Pradesh), who were presidents and secretaries of their respective state associations for years, without any break or serving a cooling-off period.

“The amendment process should, inter alia, ensure clear and effective provisions relating to 1) democratic structures and transparent electoral processes; 2) eligibility, tenure, and term limits of office bearers; 3) meaningful representation and participation of athletes in governance; 4) constitution of athletes’ commission; 5) ethical standards, integrity frameworks, and independent dispute resolution mechanisms, 6} financial transparency, audits, and responsible management of resources and safeguards that preserve the autonomy of sport while ensuring accountability and compliance with law. Member organisations are requested to accord the highest priority to this exercise. Any failure to achieve alignment within the stipulated time frame may have implications,” the advisory added.

India’s cricket board (BCCI), too, won’t remain unaffected. The board’s member state associations will also have to implement the order.

“The Act only exempts BCCI from the Right to Information Act (RTI) since it doesn’t rely on govt funding. Because the BCCI is considered financially independent, it remains outside the RTI purview. That’s the only privilege it enjoys under the Act. However, the BCCI will have to comply with other provisions of the sports legislation including applying for annual recognition, holding its future elections as per the Act, following the age and tenure guidelines, establishing athletes’ and ethics commissions and adequate women representation in its executive council (EC). So, if provisions of the Act apply to the BCCI, so does it to its member state associations,” an official following the developments told TOI.

Box Item:

Challenges facing the SOAs:

-- Amending their constitutions and bye-laws as per the Act, which means half of their office-bearers will be out

-- Calling for fresh elections to fill-in key positions, creating a leadership vacuum

-- To have Executive Committees (ECs) of 15 members,

-- Identify at least two/four Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM)

-- To have four women members in their ECs.


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