After resisting and remaining antagonistic in coming under the ambit of NADA for so long, BCCI has finally relented and is now under the purview of the National Anti Doping Agency. The autonomous cricket body was apprehensive that coming under NADA would curtail their freedom. Hence, they evaded nibbling the bait for close to a decade as successive governments had failed to convince them.

Now, that BCCI has come under the NADA fold, Sports Minister Mr. Kiren Rijiju termed this development as “highly positive”. He feels that this would have a lasting implication in the future.

However, despite coming under it, has the BCCI agreed to become completely subservient to the whims of the doping agency? This was the topic of discussion this week on “Talking Turkey with Kanthi”, the flagship program of Power Sportz. A show known to address some of the most burning issues in Indian sports, it is hosted by the Editor-in-chief of the channel Ms. Kanthi D Suresh.

Joining Kanthi on the show was Atul Wassan, former India cricketer and Indranil Basu, a senior sports journalist, along with sports legal expert Vidushpat Singhania.

Has BCCI become a National Sports Federation after coming under NADA?

After this move to come under NADA, what have sprung up are several key questions regarding the future of the cricket body. Has the BCCI taken it as an incursion to their impregnable image?

Kanthi D Suresh, during the show, highly lauded the Hon’ble Sports Minister Rijiju for bringing BCCI under NADA, something which none of his predecessors could do. She asked whether BCCI automatically becomes an NSF after agreeing to come under NADA, just like other national federations. Kanthi debated whether BCCI still enjoys its “touch me not” status.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech said that he envisages India as a ‘One Nation, One Constitution’, ‘One Nation, one tax’, ‘one nation, one grid’. Based on this, can we also say ‘All federations, One constitution’, asked Kanthi? However, that seemed farfetched for now. BCCI is in no mood to become a recognized national federation like other sports.

On asked whether this is a natural course of things under the sports code, Vidushpat said, coming under NADA doesn’t make BCCI a National Sports federation. Kanthi spoke at length about BCCI’s defense on why they are not liable to be deemed as an NSF. The BCCI says that since they are not formed by a statute, and does not depend on the government for financial assistance, they are absolved from being one.
“Can BCCI work in isolation?” asked Kanthi. To this, Atul Wassan said there is no need for BCCI to become an NSF. Coming under NADA is one thing; becoming a full-fledged NSF is another, he said. He said that BCCI flourished in isolation.

After NADA compliance, is coming under RTI the next for BCCI?

From doping compliance, the discussion veered towards BCCI coming under RTI. Agreeing to come under NADA is largely seen as a precursor to nodding for the RTI act by BCCI. The cricket body organizes both public and private functions. Though private functions are their prerogative, BCCI is accountable for the public functions. Hence, it is not a tall order to ask BCCI to come under RTI.

Like all previous episodes, this one was also engrossing as Kanthi steered the sports debate through some very relevant issues involving the BCCI and the government. To discover what else was discussed on the show, watch the full version of “Talking Turkey with Kanthi” only www.powersportz.tv