The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will come under the national sports bill, a top sports ministry source has confirmed to India Today on Tuesday, July 22. The bill reportedly carries a provision of increasing the upper limit of an age cap to 75 from the existing 70 for an administrator.
Roger Binny, who is currently serving as the BCCI president, turned 70 on Saturday, July 19, meaning that he had reached the age limit and would have been asked to step down. With the Sports Bill coming into effect, the BCCI as a National Sports Federation (NSF) is expected to come under its ambit.
What did the Sports Bill state about the age cap?
According to the draft Sports Bill, which came under the possession of PTI, can be interpreted as if someone aged 69 years and 364 days on the date of nomination, if elected for any office bearer’s post, can continue his full term beyond the age of 70 once the bill comes into effect.
“A person shall not be qualified to contest election or seek, nomination to, the executive committee, unless that person complies with International Charters and Statutes and Bye-Laws relating to age and term of the executive committee:
“Provided that person shall not be more than 70 years of age on the last date of the nomination for election:
“Provided further that any person aged between 70 and 75 years may contest elections or seek nominations if permitted by the international charters and statutes and the bye-laws and in such case, person elected shall serve full term.”
This means that when the bill comes into effect in August this year, it will allow Binny to return back as the BCCI President and atleast serve another three-year term if not five, with a rider attached to it.
Earlier, it was expected that Rajeev Shukla, the current BCCI vice-president, would take over the role from Binny.
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