The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has constituted a high-level Task Force on Capacity Building of Sports Administrators, marking a significant step toward reforming India’s sports governance ecosystem. Chaired by Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, the Task Force aligns with the objectives of the Khelo Bharat NITI 2025 and supports India’s long-term ambition of becoming a top sporting nation, including its vision for the 2036 Olympic Games.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has established a high-level Task Force on Capacity Building of Sports Administrators, aligning with Khelo Bharat NITI 2025 and supporting India’s long-term sporting ambitions, including the vision for the 2036 Olympic Games.
MYAS recognises that
India’s future sporting success hinges on world-class governance as much as on elite athletes. Sports administrators are crucial to athlete development pathways, high-performance systems, and international competitiveness, making professional capacity building essential.
The ministry has identified several shortcomings in the current sports administration framework, such as fragmented and ad-hoc training systems, the absence of a professional administrative cadre, limited use of digital tools and data-driven governance, and a lack of structured pathways for athletes to transition into leadership roles post-retirement.
The Task Force proposes the first comprehensive national roadmap for reform across the Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Sports Federations (NSFs), and State Sports Departments, aiming to bring uniformity, accountability, and long-term planning into sports governance.
A key recommendation is the establishment of a National Council for Sports Education & Capacity Building (NCSECB). This apex body will regulate, accredit, certify, and benchmark sports administration training programmes nationwide.
The Task Force has proposed a five-level national competency framework, ranging from foundation-level administrators to visionary leaders. The framework will cover governance, operations, ethics, digital skills, and athlete-centric administration.
Mandatory certification, credit-linked career progression, and continuous professional development (CPD) have been recommended. These measures will align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Academic Bank of Credits to ensure structured learning and growth.
Dedicated dual-career pathways have been suggested to help athletes transition into administration, governance, and leadership roles post-retirement, ensuring valuable on-field experience is retained within the system.
Training will be delivered through a national institutional network, including NS NIS Patiala, sports universities, IIMs, IITs, National Law Universities, and other reputed institutions across the country.
The Task Force has proposed a Unique Administrator ID (UAID), a national registry of trained administrators, and digital dashboards to monitor learning outcomes, performance, and institutional impact.
Structured international partnerships with bodies such as the IOC, international federations, and leading institutions like AISTS, Loughborough, and Tsukuba have been recommended for global exposure and benchmarking.
MYAS expects the reforms to create India’s first professional sports administration ecosystem, strengthen governance and transparency, improve athlete welfare, and build a sustainable talent pipeline, contributing to India’s goal of becoming a top-10 sporting nation by 2036.
