Athletes now need mandatory federation approval before signing with sponsors, says AFI
All Indian track-and-field athletes will now have to take prior approval from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) before signing any sponsorship agreements, the national governing body has announced.
In a circular issued on Thursday, AFI said, “Keeping in mind the best interests of athletes and sponsors, AFI has made it mandatory for athletes to obtain prior approval from the Athletics Federation of India before entering into any agreement or contractual arrangement with any sponsor or third party.”
“Sponsors are also advised to proceed with the execution of any agreement only after confirming with AFI that the athlete has obtained the requisite approval. AFI will send the confirmation within 3 days from the date of the request.”
The circular was addressed to all state units, chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, JSW Sports, ONGC Sports, Go Sports Foundation, OGQ and any other potential sponsors.
AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla said that this step had to be taken to protect the athletes: “There are agents running around who keep bringing top athletes to these private organisations. So, for two months, they’re at one top company and after two months, suddenly they have been brought to another top company. We want to ensure that these private organisations are not being influenced by some mafia agents.
“These crook agents, some of them are even coaches, are making money on the side and using athletes as a commodity. We have to respect the athletes. There are people who are giving athletes nothing and signing them on. So, we want to ensure that the athletes are not taken for a ride.
Sumariwalla mentioned that the situation had reached a tipping point where the national cause was taking a hit, forcing AFI to intervene. He said, “For them (private sponsors), they are more important than India. It is their organisation first and India comes later. And that, we cannot allow.”
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Without taking names, the former AFI President gave an example of how, in the past, athletes have lost out on getting the appropriate financial assistance. “I don’t want to get into details but a junior world champion (Neeraj Chopra – men’s javelin throw – and Hima Das – women’s 400m – are the only two Indians who have been junior world champions) was paid a stipend of 15,000 a month, which we did not know. We would have never let them sign it. They would have paid 1.5 lakhs a month but the poor athlete did not know,” said the 68-year-old.
The circular mentions that the approval process will take three days but Sumariwalla pointed out that a long contract will require time with the decision-making process involving all stakeholders. “We will try to approve it as fast as possible but if you send me a 30-page contract and I find that things are not okay, then it’s very simple for me to say no but that’s not what we want. Then, we’ll have to call them in for a conversation,” he said.
He also debunked the myth that the time taken by the approval process could cost the athlete a potential deal as the sponsors may back out. “No athlete is going to be sponsored by a private party who does not have employment with railways or police or services or somewhere. That’s the first point of entry,” he opined.
Welcoming the move, Rahul Trehan, Chief Operating Officer at IOS Sports & Entertainment, said, “In certain cases, the agreements are not balanced. Athletes don’t have the termination clause but the agencies do have a termination clause. So, if the governing body of that particular sport is doing this to maintain a balance between the athlete and (the sponsors) and to oversee the things, it is fine.”
However, Manisha Malhotra, Head of Sports Excellence and Scouting at JSW, argued that athletes should have the right to make the decision about what’s right for them. She said, “I don’t agree with federations trying to control athletes. Those days are far gone. Athletes should be allowed to make choices out of their own free will.
“A federation can definitely advise an athlete of what they think is better for them or not but to dictate terms, I don’t fully agree with that whole thing but it is what it is. The flip side of that is that athletes are taking the system for a ride and maybe they’re trying to govern it in that way. So, there’s merit on both accounts. We’ll see whether eventually it’s beneficial to sport or not.”
On AFI’s decision to be involved in such a capacity in a sponsorship agreement between a private entity and an athlete, Malhotra pointed out that federations in nations with good sporting ecosystems provide a pathway for assistance but not the final approval. “In most other countries where the governance is good, most sponsorship comes through the sports federation. So, while it’s not a direct approval, the sports federations or the Olympic committees are the ones vetting out different sorts of grants.
“I don’t think it’s happening in the western countries for sure where you need to ask the permission of a federation if someone can support you.”
Published on Apr 04, 2026