New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has allowed the Centre to disburse funds to the national sports federations for preparation and participation of sportspersons in international events and other activities associated with their training, saying holding such events would bring laurels to the country.

While passing an interim direction, a bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela added two more members to an existing five-member committee to oversee the disbursement of funds to the various national sports federations (NSF).

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The bench issued a notice and sought reply of petitioner and senior advocate Rahul Mehra on an application filed by the Centre seeking to allow it to release funds to the NSFs.

The Centre said India had declared its intent to bid for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics before the International Olympics Committee.

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"This court is of the opinion that in the interregnum, some interim directions/arrangement has to be made keeping in view the ultimate objective of ensuring that India gets to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the year 2036," the bench said.

In an order passed on December 3, the high court further said, "Holding of the Olympic and Paralympic Games cannot be underscored. It cannot be doubted that holding the International Sports events would bring great laurels not only to the country but also to each of the participating sports persons and sports in general."

The court also directed the Centre to file quarterly financial statements before it to ensure transparency in accounts and disbursement of funds.

This court accepted the undertaking given by the Centre to bring in legislation with regard to recognition and management of sports bodies.

The Centre was represented by additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma and senior advocate Anil Soni.

Mehra, opposing the plea, argued the relief of release of funds, sought by the Ministry of sports in the garb of holding Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, was only a bogey and a ruse to divert the funds for purposes other than sports and likely to be misused by the office bearers of the NSFs.

The court, in its order, said it appeared that a fine balance has to be struck between the aspirations of this country to hold the world's prestigious Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036 with the aspirations of the domestic sports persons who vie to participate in such international sports events and gain recognition worldwide.

"It is apparent that for such endeavour, the groundwork of selection, training of the sports persons and the expenditure on purchase of sports equipment, etc., have to commence at the earliest. It is to be kept in mind that the international sports bodies recognise only sports federations of the country and not the government of India," the bench said.

The court noted that the emphasis laid by the president of Indian Olympic Association in offering to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in India in 2036 in the October letter reflected the anxiety and the zeal with which India seeks to be a host to such prestigious international sports events.

"This zeal cannot be delayed," the bench underlined.

In April, 2023, the court appointed Olympics gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and former national hockey player M M Somaya to the committee constituted to oversee the disbursement of funds to the various sports federations for selecting Indian teams to represent the country in Asian Games held in China.

In June the same year, the high court permitted the Centre to release money to enable the participation of the Indian team in the Special Olympic World Games, 2023.

On June 3, 2022, the court passed an order directing the Centre that no money or assistance shall be provided to NSFs that were not functioning in compliance with the law concerning the administration of sports in the country.

The committee previously comprised the secretary of Department of Sports, director general of Sports Authority of India and the joint secretary of Department of Sports.

Mehra, in his petition, challenged the government decisions from October 2020 renewing recognition of several sports federations, despite the fact that they were not in compliance with the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)