'Implement Lodha reforms quickly'

The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has continued to oppose certain points in the Lodha Committee recommendations ever since they were declared binding on the Board by the Supreme Court.

The former chief justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court Mukul Mudgal felt the reforms needed to be implemented as early as possible.

“The implementation certainly needs to be done at a faster rate. But the matter is in the court and I hope the reforms come into (effect) soon,” said Mudgal on the sidelines of a symposium organised by the Sports Law and Policy Centre (SLPC) here on Saturday.

The SLPC launched a document named Ten Reforms Indian Sports Administration Needs at the conference.

Mudgal, who headed the Supreme Court-appointed Committee that conducted a probe into the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal in 2013, said the Lodha reforms are applicable for other sports as well.

“The reforms are judgements from the court. The Supreme Court judgements in this scenario are not judgements for the respective litigants alone. The directions from the committee are general principals and they are applicable for other sports as well,” he said. Mudgal stressed that the quick passage of the Sports Fraud Bill will be helpful in controlling the menace of corruption in sports.

“The Committee (Mudgal) submitted the Sporting Fraud Bill to the government after the IPL spot-fixing case in 2013. It has remained with the government and has not been enacted. If that is enacted I believe we can control corruption to some extent. I hope the parliament thinks of bringing it into force soon.”

Legalise betting

Mudgal has always batted for legalising betting in sports and felt it shouldn’t be restricted just to horse racing.

“To say that corruption will not exist after legalisation of betting is wrong. Things to do take place but they get traced. Once they get traced, remedial measures can be taken. All the money from betting can be turned white and put to mainstream finances of India. We should have good gambling commission which can control the process.

“It is in practice in many parts across the world. It is little incongruous that we can bet only on the skill of the horse in this country and not on the skill of a batsman,” he offered.