SPORT-LD MAKEN

(Repeating after recasting the intro and making some changes)
Natl Sports Bill to be put up before Cabinet tomorrow
New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) Sports Minister Ajay Maken Monday
said the Draft National Sports Development Bill will be
discussed by the Cabinet Tuesday and if approved it will be
introduced in the Parliament in the ongoing monsoon session
itself.
Maken said the Bill once passed would bring in more
accountability in the functioning of National Sports
Federations (NSFs).
"We need reforms in sports, which we hope the National
Sports Bill will bring. Our idea was to introduce the Bill in
the monsoon session. The inter-ministerial consultation is
over and it will be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow. If
passed, it will then go to the Parliament for resolution," he
said.
"I am hopeful that the Parliament will be unanimous on
this Bill. I am hopeful it (Bill) will be cleared in this
session," Maken told reporters on the occasion of hockey
legend Dhyan Chand's 106th birth anniversary, regarded as
National Sports Day in the country.
"We need reforms in sports which this Bill will bring in.
The Bill will bring in transparency in NSFs," he added.
He said if passed by the Parliament the Bill would make
it mandatory for NSFs to have 25 per cent reservation for
sportspersons in their executive board.
Terming Dhyan Chand as the brightest star of Indian
sports, Maken said there was an urgent need to develop a
sports culture in the country to produce many more champions
like the hockey legend.
"We have built world class infrastructure during the
Commonwealth Games but only infrastructure can't help. We need
to encourage sports culture first as this will fetch us medals
and not infrastructure alone," he said.