Stories
Indian Sports Shine on the Field but Face Chaos and Controversy Off It
M
Moneycontrol•13-10-2026, 11:31
Indian Sports Shine on the Field but Face Chaos and Controversy Off It
- •Indian athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Asian Games with numerous gold medals in Olympic disciplines, sparking widespread optimism.
- •Off the field, the Boxing Federation of India faced severe controversy following allegations of misconduct and the involvement of young kids in disputes.
- •Rowing and hockey also suffered from intense infighting, public acrimony, FIRs, and conflicts between top officials and federation presidents.
- •Some sports officials reportedly prioritize power struggles and upcoming elections over athletic success, showing dismay when Indian teams perform well.
- •As India prepares for an Olympic bid and the Commonwealth Games, better governance and athlete-focused sports bodies are urgently needed.
Key Questions Answered
Following the Asian Games, the Boxing Federation of India faced serious internal conflict after the Secretary General alleged misconduct by the President, and supporters dragged young kids from a Khelo India Centre into the dispute.
In rowing, conflict between athletes and the federation over unilateral decisions caused India's medal count to drop from five to one. Meanwhile, hockey experienced ongoing acrimony and infighting between the President and Secretary General, resulting in filed FIRs and public letters.
The Sports Ministry suspended the Table Tennis Federation of India due to governance deficiencies and its failure to conduct elections on time after receiving an unsatisfactory response to a show cause notice.
