Supreme Court considers Commission to investigate Sports Federations

The Supreme Court on Thursday suggested forming a commission of inquiry to carry out a more detailed investigation into the functioning of sports bodies in India.

This comes amid growing concerns over alleged irregularities in the administration of federations such as the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation.

A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh observed that sports associations appear to be involved in activities beyond their mandate, hinting at the need for deeper scrutiny.

“We are inclined to appoint a commission of inquiry for a deeper probe into the affairs of Kabaddi associations because other than sports activities, all kinds of things are happening in these bodies. We also intend to expand the scope of this inquiry to other sports associations,” the bench said during the hearing.

The case stems from a petition filed by two national Kabaddi players, Priyanka and Pooja, who had earlier requested the court to direct the AKFI to allow their participation in international events, including the Asian Kabaddi Championship in Iran.

In a previous hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to consider a CBI probe into the functioning of the AKFI. On Thursday, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj informed the court that preparations were underway to finalise the investigation process, and requested two more weeks to complete the modalities.

The court also allowed several current and former athletes, including two Arjuna Awardees, to intervene in the matter and provide suggestions on reforms needed in the management of sports bodies.

The top court had earlier directed former judge S P Garg, who was acting as the AKFI administrator, to hand over charge to its elected governing body so that players could participate in the Iran tournament. The players eventually competed and returned with a gold medal.

The Supreme Court has now sought a mechanism from the CBI director to carry out both domestic and international investigations — potentially with assistance from bodies like INTERPOL — into the operations of sports federations.

The matter is expected to be heard again in four weeks.