Sports Ministry 'open to suggestions' for National Sports Code

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday said that the Ministry was open to suggestions regarding ways in which the National Sports Code can bring transparency in the sports organisations.

"The federations and societies have membership with international organisations, so they do not want government's interference. In spite of that, under the sports code that we are bringing, there will be transparency to a great extent," Rathore told reporters at the sidelines of an even here, and added, "We are open to suggestions regarding ways to bring transparency."

Rathore was responding to the issue of deserving players not getting selected into teams under the 'Khelo India' initiative.

On Wednesday, the Sports Minister said that under the 'Khelo India' initiative, thousand players will be chosen each year and will be provided scholarship of Rs 5 lakh for a continuous period of eight years.

"Till now the officials at sports federation and ministry used to be VIPs, now this culture will not be followed. Now the most important people will be players, coaches and spectators. We will now provide incentives to the coaches at grassroots level and will digitalise the system to do so," he opined.

Rathore had also said that a National Sports Code will be brought to ensure transparency in the sports organisations, "Under the code we will have the provision of transparency to run the federations and sports organisations efficiently.