The Sports Ministry has raised objections to the Table Tennis Federation of India’s (TTFI) appointment of former office bearer M.P. Singh as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment is deemed to violate the National Sports Code, which advocates for “good governance practices” in National Sports Federations (NSFs).
Singh previously served as TTFI’s treasurer from 2013-17 and secretary general from 2017-2021. In a circular issued to NSFs and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in 2022, the Sports Ministry clarified that ineligible outgoing office bearers returning as CEOs of federations contravene the Sports Code’s guidelines.
In a letter to TTFI on Wednesday, the Ministry cited the government circular and requested the federation to “take appropriate action in the matter.” The letter emphasized the importance of ensuring good governance practices in NSFs.
The Sports Ministry’s 2022 circular stated that “outgoing office bearers come back as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Federation, which is against the spirit of the guidelines limiting age and tenure of office bearers of lOA and NSFs of the Sports Code 2011.”
The circular further stipulated that “any person who has held an elected post in IOA and an NSF in the past, should not be appointed as CEO.” The Ministry emphasized that the CEO position is an administrative role, and the selected individual is compensated by the IOA and NSF.
According to the TTFI constitution, which aligns with the Sports Code, the secretary general and treasurer can hold office for a maximum of two terms of four years each consecutively. After this, a cooling-off period of one term of four years is required before seeking re-election.
Sources indicate that objections to Singh’s appointment were raised during the AGM, but the proposal was ultimately passed. The Sports Ministry is reportedly considering introducing a Sports Bill to enhance good governance practices in sports bodies and will scrutinize such appointments closely.
