Interim Executive Committee Permitted to Manage Daily Affairs Pending Formal Alignment with Sports Act, 2025

The petitioners challenged the September 2024 elections of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), alleging violations of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011 and existing judicial precedents

On 24th September 2024, the Court ordered that election results remain in a sealed cover

While the petition was pending, the Central Government notified the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 (effective 31st December 2025) and the Sports Governance Rules, 2026, which introduced new mandates for age limits, tenures, and Executive Committee (EC) composition

During this period, the AITA was also paralyzed by factionalism, with three different groups claiming to represent the body, leading to administrative deadlock and "ego tussles" over international events

National Sports Governance Act, 2025, specifically Section 4(2) regarding age (max 70 years) and tenure (up to three terms with cooling-off)

Section 4(1)(b) of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, limiting EC size to 15 members

Section 15(b) of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, mandating amendment of Bye-Laws

Rule 18 of the Sports Governance Rules, 2026, requiring compliance within six months

Dr. Arun Damodar Sawant v. Chancellor, Univ. of Maharashtra (2024) to hold that legal issues under old regimes become academic upon new enactments

All India Football Federation v. Rahul Mehra (2022) to establish that an expired committee cannot continue indefinitely under the cloak of a court stay

The Court reasoned that with the notification of the Sports Act, 2025, the previous challenge under the 2011 Code became academic

AITA’s existing EC had completed its four-year term (2020-2024), and its continued functioning solely due to a judicial stay was deemed contrary to "proper governance"

The Court observed that AITA is currently a "divided house" with three factions filing conflicting applications, which jeopardizes athlete interests and national image

Consequently, the Court determined that the 2024 election results (previously sealed) should be declared only as a stopgap measure to manage day-to-day affairs, but an independent Administrator is necessary to oversee the mandatory transition to the new legal regime

(i) the release of the 2024 election results to form an interim EC; (ii) the appointment of Justice (Retd.) Ms. Gita Mittal as Administrator to manage AITA’s affairs and oversee bank accounts; (iii) the Administrator shall amend AITA's Constitution/Bye-Laws by June 30, 2026, to comply with the 2025 Act; and (iv) fresh elections must be conducted within three months of such amendments. The contempt petition was dismissed as infructuous