SAFE SPORTS POLICY AND GRIEVANCE REDRESSALCentral

Section 13 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025

(1)The Board shall frame a comprehensive Safe Sports Policy applicable to all activities, events, operations and proceedings conducted by the National Sports Bodies.
(2)The Safe Sports Policy shall include provisions to ensure the protection and safety of women and minor athletes and such other persons as may be prescribed.
(3)Every National Sports Body shall establish an internal grievance redressal mechanism to address the grievances raised by athletes, coaches and other individuals associated with such body, in a fair, timely and transparent manner.

Summary

The National Sports Board must create a broad Safe Sports Policy that covers all activities, events, operations, and proceedings run by National Sports Bodies.
This policy must contain rules to protect the safety of women, underage athletes, and other groups that might be listed later.
Every National Sports Body is required to set up its own internal system for handling complaints.
This internal system must handle complaints from athletes, coaches, and anyone else connected to the body.
The complaint process must be fair, quick, and open.

Practical examples

1In March 2026, a 15-year-old gymnast reports that a training camp facility is unsafe. Under the new policy, the national gymnastics federation must use its internal grievance system to investigate her complaint promptly and transparently.

2The National Sports Board releases a new safety manual for all national tournaments in 2027. A national archery coach files a complaint about harassment at an event, and the archery federation must resolve it fairly through their internal team rather than ignoring it.

FAQ

1. Who is responsible for writing the overall Safe Sports Policy?

The National Sports Board is responsible for framing the comprehensive policy.

2. Do local clubs handle their own safety policies?

The law specifically requires every National Sports Body to establish an internal grievance redressal mechanism, which will govern the activities and events they conduct.

3. Who can use the internal grievance system of a National Sports Body?

Athletes, coaches, and other individuals associated with the National Sports Body can use it to raise grievances.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 13 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, which entity is legally required to establish an internal grievance redressal mechanism?

Q2.Under Section 13 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, which specific groups are explicitly named as requiring protection and safety provisions in the Safe Sports Policy?

Q3.Under Section 13 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, if a coach has a grievance about how a tournament is being run, what standard must the National Sports Body meet when addressing it?

Q4.Under Section 13 of The National Sports Governance Act, 2025, what scope of activities must the Board's Safe Sports Policy cover?

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