NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry on Monday asked every national federation to constitute a “Committee on International Relations” that would be tasked with the job of ensuring better cooperation with international bodies on issues such as joint training programmes and hosting of major competitions in India.
In its communication to the National Sports Federations (NSFs), the ministry said the committee should comprise senior members of the federation, former international athletes, coaches and “subject experts with proven experience in global sports administration and diplomacy.”
“The details of the Committee, including its composition and terms of reference, may kindly be communicated to this Ministry within 30 days from the date of issuance of this advisory,” the Ministry letter to the NSFs, which is in possession of PTI, stated.
The advisory comes a few days after Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao urged NSF officials to leave day-to-day administration to CEOs and focus on building ties internationally for India’s benefit.
“You are the vision builders, you are not administrators. You require professional administrators in your organisation who handle the day-to-day business while you network with international bodies and plan the pyramid of growth,” he had stated in Ahmedabad last week.
“You should be able to facilitate a process by which our leadership is on first name basis with the international body representatives,” he had said while unveiling the medal strategy for the next decade.
The ministry advisory said the decision to advise the formation of such a committee was based on “the rapidly evolving global sports environment.”
The committee will be entrusted with the task of monitoring developments in their respective International Federation (IF), Continental Federation (CF), including changes in competition rules and structures, and governance frameworks and elections.
“It will also be expected to formulate a “medium-term international cooperation plan covering bilateral/multilateral MoUs, joint training camps, exchange programmes, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and hosting of international competitions in India,” the letter stated.
The committee will coordinate with international federations to ensure India’s timely participation in the bidding process.
In addition, the committee will prepare periodic briefs to the Ministry, highlighting the collaborations that are either finalised or in motion between the concerned NSF and its counterparts.
“These briefs should emphasise initiatives that enhance performance pathways for Indian athletes and teams, including access to elite competitions, sparring opportunities, and advanced sports science support abroad,” the letter said.
Collaboration with international sports research and academic institutions for best training opportunities and sports science support for the Indian athletes will also be among the briefs for this panel.
PTI