Blueprints of Motion: Designing a Governance Architecture for India’s Racquet and Coordination Sports

Abstract

This paper suggests an overall governance framework in the racquet and coordination sports of India by incorporating empirical evidence, opinion of the stakeholders, and proven governance measures. It discusses six major sports (badminton, tennis, table tennis, squash, gymnastics, and skating) in a mixed-method context that combines expert opinion and policy evaluation with individual analyses of athletes. The data on 120 participants on seven governance dimensions was collected on transparency, athlete welfare, quality of infrastructure, coach education, funding efficiency, integrity and ethics, and stakeholder participation dimensions. The quantitative analysis shows that there is a disproportionate governance performance in the sports with the racquet sports showing a more robust structure in comparison to coordination sports which shows shortfalls in transparency, support of athletes and integrity mechanisms. The results highlight the need to develop harmonised national standards, digital governance, formal coach education career, and better systems of accountability. The suggested governance blueprint is a scalable, evidence-based framework that can help sports federations, policymakers, and administrators work towards better organisational performance and athlete-focused results. Altogether, the paper provides practical research in the areas of enhancing governance in the Indian sport and fostering sustainable development of athletes.