The argument about how India’s sports money is used is now even more heated because of the report’s accusations that athlete’s money went to upgrade sports facilities in bureaucrats' neighborhoods and to buy cricket gifts for boards in other countries. This has led to Parliament’s criticism and renewed questions about priorities when there isn’t much money available.
What the probe uncovered
The National Sports Development Fund, started in 1998 to help athletes and build sports infrastructure, is at the center of this issue. The fund provides support for advanced athlete training and important programs like TOPS. The records mentioned in the report suggest some of the money went to groups it wasn’t normally intended for.
From 2021 to 2025, over 6.2 crore rupees from the NSDF were given to projects connected to the Civil Services Officers’ Institute, the Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board and New Moti Bagh in Delhi. In June 2024, 2.2 crore rupees were approved to upgrade and fix up the facilities at New Moti Bagh.
New Moti Bagh Residential Complex, where high-ranking bureaucrats live, already received money from Khelo India in 2019 – 2.8 crore rupees for sports infrastructure. Now the complex has a swimming pool with temperature control, squash courts, tennis courts, badminton courts, a gym and billiard rooms.
Key allocations under scrutiny
According to the report, these are the contested spends drawing attention:
– New Moti Bagh upgrade sanctioned Rs 2.2 crore in June 2024.
– Complex earlier got Rs 2.8 crore under Khelo India in 2019.
– Around Rs 88 lakh second instalment in 2025-26.
– SAI spent over Rs 1 crore on cricket gifts overseas.
– Approximately Rs 2.66 crore to two RSS-linked organisations.
– Around Rs 1.08 crore on overseas cricket procurements.
Why this matters now
The fact that this happened at this time has increased the level of attention on it. The report’s numbers show that the NSDF received 85.26 crore rupees in t 2023-24, but only 37.02 crore rupees in 2025-26. Because less money is coming in, deciding where to spend the limited money available is even more important for athletes and sports organizations.
How the money gets approved is also being looked at. The NSDF is managed by a council of 12 people led by the Union Sports Minister, but a committee of six people from the Sports Ministry approves requests for grants. The report says there could be a problem with people benefiting from the money being in the same government system as those approving the spending.
Approvals, access and defence
Sudhanshu Pandey, the president of the New Moti Bagh Residents’ Welfare Association, said the spending and the approval process were fine. He explained they created a Detailed Project Report (DPR) which SAI approved, then the Sports Ministry looked at it and gave the money. He said the money for the actual building and improvements came from there, and that the government decides where the money comes from.
Pandey said about who is allowed to use the facilities, they are open to people living there, government employees and private people who have been checked. He said they do careful checking, so only the appropriate people join. He added that spending money on sports facilities in residential areas is part of general well-being and improves emotional, mental and physical health.
A previous official from the Sports Ministry who was quoted in the report said using NSDF money for facilities that the general public can’t use is “wrong”. And about the cricket gifts to other countries, the official asked why public money is being spent overseas when “the government doesn’t even fund cricket in India.”
Parliamentary panel and wider beneficiaries
After these findings were made public, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports gave their opinion. In a report submitted to the Lok Sabha in August 2025, it said money had gone to neighborhoods where people live and to civil service groups, and it suggested this shouldn’t happen. They asked for the NSDF to be more strictly controlled.
The report also mentioned grants to two groups connected to the RSS in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Roughly 2.66 crore rupees were given (from a total of over 5 crore rupees approved) for facilities and competitions. In Udaipur, the money was used for a place for people to sit and watch, to redo the running track and for a football practice field. In Chhattisgarh, the money helped pay for and run competitions and tournaments.
What comes next
It’s important to note that not all the spending that’s being questioned is completely unrelated to sports. The investigation showed that the NSDF gave grants to hostels for athletes, high-performance centers and academies – this included support for the SAI-Gopichand Academy and the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Development Foundation. These examples show what the fund was originally meant to do.
However, the main discussion has now turned to being responsible with the money, who has access to things and if the money is being used well. Because contributions are going down and athletes need more support, the main question is still this: should a fund designed for excellence in sports pay for fancy facilities for those in charge and gifts for cricket organizations in other countries?
