Ministry grants recognition to 54 NSFs until Sept, PCI, RFI, GFI left out

The Sports Ministry on Monday released a list of 54 National Sports Federations (NSF) that have been granted recognition till September this year. The ministry continued to leave out the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), the Rowing Federation of India (RFI), the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) and the Sushil Kumar-led School Games Federation of India (SGFI).

The ministry normally gives recognition to NSFs on a year-long basis and so its decision to offer it only until September was questioned by Indian Olympics Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra. "Why September 2020 and why not December 2020?" he said.

PCI has been clamouring to regain recognition from the ministry since the election of a new committee headed by Rio 2016 silver medallist Deepa Malik.

The ministry had in April opposed the election of Shantikumar Singh and Parmeshwar Prajapat as Secretary General and Executive Member of the GFI respectively in November 2019 and withheld recognition. The GFI was derecognised by the ministry in 2012.

RFI was derecognised in December 2019 for violating the Sports Code of 2011 by allowing proxy votes in its elections. In February, Rajlaxmi Singh Deo and MV Sriram were elected President and Secretary General respectively for a five-year term. The SGFI was de-recognised by the ministry in February due to mismanagement.