Sports Funds Diverted to Bureaucrats’ Facilities, Claims Report
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- May 14, 2026
- 489
A major controversy has erupted over the alleged misuse of funds meant for India’s Olympic-bound athletes. According to a report published by The Indian Express, crores of rupees from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) were allegedly diverted to upgrade luxury sports facilities used by senior bureaucrats and officials in New Delhi.
The report claims that money intended for athlete development under schemes such as the Sports Authority of India-run Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was instead spent on temperature-controlled swimming pools, tennis courts, and gym facilities in elite residential zones and officers’ clubs in Lutyens’ Delhi.
What Is the NSDF?
The National Sports Development Fund was established by the Government of India in November 1998 to support sports infrastructure and financially assist talented athletes. The fund plays a key role in schemes like TOPS, aimed at preparing athletes for Olympic and international competitions.
The fund is administered by a 12-member council headed by the Union Sports Minister, while grant proposals are approved by a six-member committee of Sports Ministry officials.
Funds Used in Bureaucrats’ Residential Areas
According to Sports Authority documents cited in the report, ₹6.7 crore was sanctioned between 2021 and 2025. Out of this, approximately ₹6.2 crore was reportedly spent on projects linked to:
- Civil Services Officers Institute (CSOI)
- Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board (CCSCSB)
- New Moti Bagh Residential Complex
The New Moti Bagh area in Delhi allegedly received funds for a temperature-controlled swimming pool and renovated tennis courts.
Records further reveal that in June 2024, another ₹2.2 crore grant was approved for the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of New Moti Bagh for sports infrastructure upgrades. Of this amount, ₹1.1 crore was released during 2024-25, while another ₹88 lakh was released in 2025-26 despite declining NSDF contributions.
Earlier Funding Under Khelo India
This was reportedly not the first such allocation. In July 2019, the Sports Authority of India sanctioned ₹2.8 crore under the Khelo India scheme to develop sports facilities at the same New Moti Bagh complex.
The report noted that tennis courts created under the earlier project were again upgraded just five years later using NSDF funds.
RSS-Linked Institutions and Foreign Cricket Boards Also Benefited
The report also alleged that out of ₹5.07 crore sanctioned between 2021 and 2025, around ₹2.66 crore was spent on sports facilities linked to RSS-associated institutions in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Additionally, cricket equipment worth ₹1.08 crore was reportedly gifted through the NSDF to countries including:
- Maldives
- Jamaica
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Declining Donations, Continued Spending
The report highlighted that NSDF donations declined sharply from ₹85.26 crore in 2023-24 to ₹37.02 crore in 2025-26. Despite this financial decline, additional installments for officials’ sports facilities allegedly continued to be released.
In 2021-22, the NSDF reportedly received its lowest donations in five years at ₹15.13 crore, with the government adding ₹5 crore to the corpus. According to records cited in the report, over 10 percent of that total was spent on facilities for civil servants.
Parliamentary Panel Raised Objections
In August 2025, a Parliamentary Standing Committee reportedly objected strongly to the allocation of athlete funds toward residential colonies and officers’ associations.
The committee reportedly stated that such funding “should be stopped from being distributed to residential colonies and officers’ associations.”
Officials Defend the Spending
Sudhanshu Pandey defended the projects, saying the facilities were intended to promote fitness and that the government determines the funding source.
However, former sports officials quoted in the report called the allocations unethical, arguing that taxpayer money earmarked for athletes should not be used to improve the lifestyle amenities of bureaucrats.