India gets closer to a Sports Ethics Commission

The Delhi ‘Sansad’ Parliament will review the ‘National Sports Ethics Commission Bill’ after it cleared India’s Lower House.

India.- Match-fixing is the top concern regarding sports betting worldwide and India has come one step closer to tackling the issue. The Lower House has cleared the passage for the ‘National Sports Ethics Commision Bill’, which will now be reviewed by the Delhi ‘Sansad’ Parliament.

The bill was designed to develop a stronger ethical code for Indian professional sports and was first introduced by Anurag Thakur, former India BCCI cricket Chairman and Bharatiya Janata Party MP, in 2016. Bill’s supporters and MP Thakur expect (if the bill gets final approval) to counter match-fixing, corruption and criminal activity among sports in the Asian country. The bill would also set up a better framework for sports stakeholders to tackle other unlawful practices like doping, sexual harassment and age fraud.

The bill’s objective is said to be to “provide for the constitution a National Sports Ethics Commission to ensure ethical practices and fair play in professional sports,” and arises after Indian Premier League (cricket) match-fixing scandals in 2013. Ever since, Indian authorities have been discussing a way to redraft national sporting laws to tackle sports corruption an is now getting closer with MP Thakur’s proposal, which is set to be reviewed by the Delhi ‘Sansad’ Parliament in the next few weeks.