New Delhi [India], August 14 : The Indian sporting community has lauded the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2025, which were passed by the Parliament on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Athletes, coaches, sports administrators and more have hailed it as a long-overdue reform to bring good governance and protect athlete interests, as per a release from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Badminton star Lakshya Sen took to the social media platform X to express his appreciation for the passage of this legislation. "Historic moment for Indian sports! The SportsBill2025, passed by both Houses, sets new standards in governance, transparency & athlete welfare. Thank you, PM Shri Narendra Modi, for making fairness & welfare the pillars of sports," he wrote.
Sumit Antil, the current poster boy of para-javelin in India, wrote on social media, "The passage of Sports Bill 2025 in both houses of Parliament will bring transparency and fairness to sports administration! The National Sports Election Panel, Code of Conduct, Safe Sports Policy, and Grievance Redressal Mechanism will ensure that the voices of all stakeholders are heard and respected."
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, has referred to the passing of the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, as the single biggest reform in the Sports sector since Independence.
The significance of this Bill in terms of revamping sports administration was also highlighted by Indian para-Badminton athlete, Sukant Kadam. "The National Sports Governance Bill 2025 brings Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi's vision of professional, audited, and rule-bound National Sports Federations (NSFs) to life, ensuring decisions are made for sport, not politics," he said.
Kalyan Chaubey, President, All India Football Federation (AIFF), said, "I congratulate Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for bringing this Bill after four decades. This benefits Indian sports in two major areas. Firstly, it sets down the formation of the National Sports Board with the authority to grant or cancel registration or recognition of a sports organisation. Secondly, hundreds of litigations, pending in courts, will be addressed by Sports Tribunal, saving unnecessary expenditure that can now be used to further the development of sports."
"This legislation will ensure that our athletes are clean, especially when the country is about to host a major international game," Chaubey added.
Indian Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal said, "It was a much-needed reform for sports in India. We were lagging behind in many areas in dispute resolution, where every association is more or less in Court, unfortunately causing many delays. This Bill will be a game-changer in terms of sports promotion and sports development."
One of the key facets of the Bill is the Safe Sport Policy, which addresses mandatory adoption of athlete protection frameworks, grievance redressal mechanisms, and safeguards against harassment, especially for women, divyang and minors. Avani Lekhara, who has won three medals across two editions of the Paralympics, wrote, "The Sports Bill 2025, passed by both Houses, ensures safety, dignity & progress for women & para-athletes with Safe Sports Policy & equal opportunities. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning inclusivity into action."
Rohit Rajpal, Chairman IOA Anti-Doping Committee, put forth his views on the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill. "It will be a game-changer for sports in India, resolving disputes faster and bringing clarity for athletes and sports administration alike. We must collaborate with associations to foster greater inclusivity. Having served in NADA, I bring some understanding of anti-doping governance. We look forward to working with WADA, and we also need athletes to raise their level of awareness."
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