If a draft sports governance bill becomes a law, India’s athletes and officials will no longer be able to take their sporting disputes to the country’s courts. Instead, they will first have to knock on the doors of a proposed Appellate Sports Tribunal, modelled on the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Only if they are dissatisfied with the verdict, can they approach the Supreme Court. This isn’t the only eye-catching recommendation in the Draft National Sports Governance Bill, 2024, which the sports ministry released on Thursday. It has been suggested that a Sports Regulatory Board of India (SRBI) be formed to primarily look into all the governance issues related to sports federations. If implemented, this would result in a separation of powers within the sports ministry, which right now is responsible for all matters concerning Indian sport — from funding to governance — and has been criticised for not enforcing the rules strictly. Additionally, the draft bill could also pave the way for any citizen of India above the age of 25 to …