AITA adopts new Constitution

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Sunday said it has adopted required amendments to its constitution, making it fully compliant with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, and becoming one of the first National Sports Federations (NSFs) in the country to align with the new legislation.

AITA has also directed all affiliated state associations to amend their respective constitutions by December 31, 2026, to ensure continued affiliation with the national federation.

The amendments were approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in New Delhi, where representatives of affiliated state associations deliberated on the proposals in a marathon session that commenced at 11:30 am and concluded at 4:30 pm.

One draft was prepared by the Court-appointed Administrator while the other was put forward by AITA Executive Committee.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal, the court-appointed Administrator of AITA, who described the occasion as a historic milestone for the federation.

The proceedings were chaired by AITA President Chintan Parikh. A total of 47 members from among 28 affiliated units were represented at the meeting, where members voted through secret ballot instead of the customary show of hands. Members from Goa and Pondicherry skipped the meet.

The amendments proposed by the Administrator and the AITA Executive Committee were discussed in detail, deliberated upon with reasons, and thereafter put to vote before the General Body members who had assembled from different parts of the country.

The entire meeting was conducted in the presence of court-appointed observers and was videographed.

States will continue to have two votes. With the adoption of the amendments, every affiliated state association will now be represented by two delegates in the General Body, with each representative entitled to one vote, thereby giving every state association two votes.

The Administrator had proposed one vote for each state association and even wanted Associate members to have voting rights.

The General Body will also include four Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) — two men and two women — who will be elected from a roster comprising 40 former tennis players, equally divided between men and women, in accordance with the eligibility criteria prescribed under the National Sports Governance Act.

The Administrator had proposed five SOMs in GB.

In addition, two para-tennis players from wheelchair tennis will be nominated to the General Body, with one vote each, ensuring greater representation of para-athletes in the federation's decision-making process.

The age-cap provision also triggered extensive discussion, with a section of members backing a maximum age limit of 75 years and others favouring 70 years. The matter was eventually put to vote, the result of which will be announced on Monday.

The Executive Committee has also been restructured and will consist of 15 members, including the President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary General, Treasurer, two Joint Secretaries — one of whom will be a woman — two representatives of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit, two members elected by the Athletes' Committee, and five Executive Members elected by the General Body.

The amended constitution also mandates that at least 25 per cent of the Executive Committee, comprising a minimum of four members, must be women.

The tenure of the President, Honorary Secretary General and Treasurer will now be governed strictly by the provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.

"It was a marathon meeting and I am glad everything was done in an amicable manner. Many clauses were modified, just the language part. We wanted it in a certain way. I am extremely happy that we have become one of the first NSFs to be new NSG Act complaint," AITA Interim President Chintan Parikh told PTI.

The revised constitution removes provisions that concentrated excessive authority in a single office-bearer and instead strengthens collective and democratic decision-making within the Executive Committee.

As part of its governance reforms, AITA has incorporated a comprehensive Conflict of Interest provision in line with the International Tennis Federation's charter.

The amended constitution also provides for the establishment of an Independent Dispute Resolution Committee, an Ethics Committee and an Internal Complaints Committee under the provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, further strengthening the federation's institutional framework.

According to a member present at the meeting, only those amendments that stemmed from the Supreme Court's August 16, 2022 judgment faced resistance, with the federation preferring to align strictly with the National Sports Governance Act.

The Delhi High Court had on June 18 powered AITA General Body in deciding amendments to its constitution, directing that proposed changes be placed before the federation’s members for clause-by-clause consideration and voting.

The Bench had also ordered that fresh elections to the AITA Executive Committee be conducted under the amended constitution and the new sports governance framework by September 30.

The court also said any decision taken by the General Body on the proposed amendments would remain subject to the final outcome of the appeals.

The dispute traces its origins to a writ petition filed by Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja challenging the conduct of the AITA elections held on September 28, 2024, alleging violations of the National Sports Development Code and earlier court directions on sports governance.