Lodha happy with SC stance

Justice (Retd) RM Lodha was a delighted man after the Supreme Court strictly conveyed to the top BCCI officials to give suggestions for the board’s draft constitution without compromising the reforms suggested by his committee.

Lodha called it a good news for the sports administration in India and felt the reforms could become a blue print for other sports federations in the country to follow. Barring the few points like one-state-one vote, number of members of the selection etc, which were opposed by the BCCI, the Supreme Court bench has ordered the BCCI to adopt the suggestions given by the Justice Lodha Committee “in its entirety.”

The Supreme Court bench had also directed the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to prepare a draft constitution of the BCCI in terms of its earlier judgment and order on the Lodha panel recommendations.

“It is a good news. It is good for the sport. The hard work of one year is finally coming through. I am hopeful that it will give way to an administration which is transparent, accountable and player centric. Importantly, these guidelines can be applicable to all other sports federations, sooner or later, for effective administration which is not a fiefdom of a selected few,” Lodha told DH.

It has been a long road for the Lodha panel, whose recommendations received much opposition from the BCCI and its state bodies. The resistance continues to prosper in some state associations even now, but Lodha was confident that the opposition would die down soon.

“It is not unexpected. But they can do nothing now because they have to follow the law of the land with Supreme Court making it binding. So whatever little resistance is there will not last.

“By doing so, they are only exposing themselves. When we first came with the paperwork, there was resistance even then. But we got much public support. People wanted clean administration in sport,” he said.

While Lodha admitted there has been delay in the process, he was confident that things are moving in the right direction. “There is no denying about the delay. But there were obstacles that needed to be worked upon and now things are finally heading to the desired result. We hope all will go well now, and these guidelines will serve the needful,” he said.

“It indeed has been the most challenging assignment of my life. Because it was not only related to the law, but sports. We got inputs from all the stakeholders, and I believe everyone did a good job. We now hope it can be put to the use quickly.”