“All federations have to adopt good governance in their functioning. The elections need to be transparent. People have a habit of going to courts if they lose elections. On the other hand, there are many individuals who keep sticking to their posts. This should not happen as it creates problems for our athletes,” Mandaviya said at a round-table meeting with the NSFs on Tuesday.

Emphasising on the need for “greater transparency and accountability” in the functioning of the NSFs, the minister asked all stakeholders to be on the same page for better performances and results.

“If we want to host the 2036 Olympics and improve our medal tally in LA 2028, all stakeholders will have to pool in their resources and efforts. We have to think of the nation first, the athletes represent the country and not an organisation,” Mandaviya said in his address.

The interactive session was attended by senior representatives of all recognised NSFs. The minister asked them to prioritise developing an academy culture with a focus on talent development and coaching with the support of the private sector through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, a press release said.

He also talked about improving the quality of Indian coaches through international exposure and added that a plan is being developed to optimise the engagement of government officials recruited under the sports quota in different Central Government Departments and PSUs, ensuring their active contribution to sports-related activities.