A fund created to support Indian athletes and develop sports infrastructure was allegedly used to build and modernize elite sports facilities for bureaucrats in Delhi, according to an investigation by The Indian Express.
The report suggests that crores of rupees from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) have been channeled to sports complexes inside government residential colonies and exclusive state government institutions, even as contributions to the fund have declined sharply in the last few years.
The NSDF was established in 1998 to support athletes, training programs, international exposure and sports infrastructure projects across the country. The fund also supports several elite initiatives, including the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
However, the paper’s investigation, based on RTI records and official documents, found that between 2021 and 2025, more than Rs 6.2 crore from the NSDF was spent on establishments linked to bureaucrats, including the Civil Service Officers Institute (CSOI), the Central Civil Services Cultural and Sports Board (CCSCSB) and the New Moti Bagh residential complex in Delhi.
GOVERNMENT RESIDENCE TAKE ADVANTAGE
The report said New Moti Bagh, one of Delhi’s most prominent government residential colonies housing senior bureaucrats, has received Rs 2.2 million from the NSDF in 2024 for “upgradation and renovation” of sports infrastructure. The colony has already received Rs 2.8 crore under the Khelo India scheme for sports facilities in 2019.
The sports complex is said to include temperature-controlled swimming pools, badminton courts with wooden floors, squash, tennis courts, gymnasiums and billiard rooms.
The Indian Express report also highlighted that access to these facilities remains limited despite being built with public money earmarked for the development of the sport.
In addition to the infrastructure associated with bureaucrats, the investigation found that funds were also allocated to organizations outside the mainstream sports ecosystem. Two RSS-affiliated organizations in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh reportedly received more than Rs 2.66 crore combined for sports projects and tournaments.
The report further claimed that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) through the NSDF spent over Rs 1 crore to buy cricket equipment as a donation for cricket boards in countries such as the Maldives, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
These expenditures have come under scrutiny due to a sharp decline in contributions to the NSDF. According to the report, donations to the fund have come down from Rs 85.26 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 37.02 crore in 2025-26.
The issue was also highlighted by a parliamentary standing committee in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha in August 2025. The committee reportedly warned against the use of NSDF money for residential colonies and civil service associations and called for tighter regulation of the fund.
The Ministry of Sports did not respond to the newspaper’s questions. Former officials quoted in the report also questioned the ethics of diverting funds meant for athletes and public sports infrastructure to exclusive facilities serving bureaucrats.
The investigation has again raised questions about transparency and accountability in the use of sports funds in India, especially at a time when athletes and federations often complain of a lack of infrastructure and financial support.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
14 May 2026 21:53 IST
