SC seeks Centre's response on Lodha suggestions for other sports bodies

New Delhi, Jan 23: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the central government's response to a plea that the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee for organisatiol reforms in the Indian cricket board should be extended to all other tiol sports bodies.

The bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice N.V. Rama and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud sought the government's response to a petition by some Arju awardee sportsmen, including hockey player Ashok Kumar, and eminent sportspersons representing other sports who have represented the country at intertiol fora.

Issuing notice on the plea, the bench tagged it with the matter concerning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Notices have also been issued to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The petition by the eminent sports persons representing athletics, hockey, cricket and other sports has sought the incorporation of some of the recommendations of the Justice Lodha panel for transparency and institutiol integrity to the different tiol sports bodies.

Besides Ashok Kumar, son of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand, other sportspersons who filed the petition include M.K. Kaushik, Ashwini chappa, Gurbax Singh Grewal, Balbir Singh Grewal, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kirti Azad, Joaquim Carvalho, Vanda Rao, Edward Sequerra, S.S. rayan, Fortute Franco, Nisha Millet, Pravin Thipsay, Bhagyashree Thipsay and Rekha Bidhe, among others.

The petitioners have sought amendment to the tiol Sports Development Code of India, 2011 to include some of the recommendations made by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice M.L. Lodha committee on January 4, 2016 for effecting reforms in the administration of the BCCI.

The petition by the eminent sportspersons of yesteryears says incorporation of some of the recommendations of Justice Lodha panel were necessary in the "larger interest of sports administration, and to bring about transparency and to maintain institutiol integrity of the tiol Sports Federations".

"The good governce of tiol Sports Federations is directly related to the development of the concerned sport in India, and is also related to the quality of performance and opportunities available to the Indian sportspersons," the petitioners told the apex court. IANS