Filling The Policy-Law Gap in Indian Sports Governance: A Critical Legal Review

Abstract

The current article seeks to understand the need for a Sports Law in India by tracing the available literature especially in India in the area of sports. There have been several scholars who have addressed the various aspects of sports such as the politicisation, age-fraud, corruption, selection procedure and the like issues that are plaguing sports in India. A similar pattern is shaping the development of sports law in India. It looks into the various aspects covering sports and the ultimate decision making that must be made by the various sportspersons. The codification of the area of sports is being sought as a precursor to the existing legal scenario in which the various sports disputes are being understood as means for espousing the cause of sports and the future of sports in India. There has been ample literature for understanding the lacunae prevalent in sports which must be addressed by a carefully crafted sports law that must cover the areas of governance, regulation, competition policies, agendas, Arbitration techniques and the future of sports in India. The present paper seeks to delve on various aspects of sports and their outcomes in bringing about the much needed shift in sports in India. The setting up of a sports regulatory body and setting up of specific committees for looking into various aspects of sports in India has meant that the sports need a proper channel to address their disputes and manage the working of various sports bodies which have been exerting their influence and governing sports since a long time. It is the need of the hour to look into the monopolistic structure of these organizations and develop a mechanism to deal with these concerns of sports.