The National Sports Club of India (NSCI), one of the country’s most prominent sporting institutions, has found itself at the center of a major crisis involving financial distress, leadership conflicts, and a controversy surrounding the upcoming Annual General Body Meeting (AGM). An emergency has been declared by club president Pankaj Khandelwal, raising concerns about governance and the club’s financial stability.
In a letter dated February 13, it was announced by Khandelwal that all employees in both the Mumbai and Delhi branches would now report directly to him. The AGM, which had been originally scheduled for February 21, was also deferred. The decision was justified by him on the grounds of significant financial losses suffered by the club, particularly in its Bombay region, where a ₹28 crore loss was reported for the fiscal year 2023-24. An accumulated deficit of ₹463 crore was also highlighted, along with outstanding trade payable liabilities amounting to ₹50.53 crore. It was further alleged by Khandelwal that a bank overdraft of ₹30.82 crore had been taken without the necessary authorization.
Following these revelations, an advisory committee was set up to investigate the financial situation, while a disciplinary panel was formed to look into cases of alleged misconduct, including insubordination and vandalism. However, these claims were contested by Mumbai regional secretary Atul Maru, who submitted documents via CEO T.C. Krishnaswamy to argue that the club’s operations had been running as per proper procedures.
Adding to the turmoil, a dispute over the location of the AGM has escalated tensions among club members. Initially planned to be held in Delhi, the meeting was later shifted to Mumbai following a legal notice from club member and advocate Gautam Dutta, who stated that the AGM venue should alternate between Delhi and Mumbai. The venue change was met with resistance from several members, who reaffirmed their stance that the meeting should proceed in Delhi as planned. A resolution under Rule 66 was circulated among the central council members to support this position. Meanwhile, objections were also raised against a letter issued on February 12 by club secretary Sanjay Berry, which directed the Mumbai and Delhi CEOs to conduct the AGM in Mumbai.
The decision to relocate the meeting was opposed by two-thirds of the executive committee, who viewed it as an arbitrary move by Khandelwal and Berry. The growing dissatisfaction led to discussions about introducing a vote of no confidence against both officials. The Free Press Journal reported that the AGM venue change was prompted by Dutta’s legal notice, which accused the club of violating a Delhi High Court order. Although Berry had announced the shift in compliance with Khandelwal’s directive, the club later responded to the legal notice by asserting that the executive committee had full authority over deciding the AGM venue. Meanwhile, Mumbai region CEO Krishnaswamy countered the claims made by Dutta, warning that a last-minute venue change could result in significant financial losses for the club.
Further resistance was expressed by NSCI central council vice president Bhavna Bafna, who dismissed Khandelwal’s emergency declaration as invalid. She argued that the allegations in the communication were misleading and unfairly questioned the integrity of the club’s office bearers. According to her, the emergency declaration appeared to serve personal interests rather than aligning with the club’s rules and regulations. Additionally, she stated that directing all employees to report directly to Khandelwal was beyond the president’s authority. Berry defended his decisions, stating that as the honorary secretary-general of the club for both Mumbai and Delhi, he was the rightful authority under the club’s constitution. He insisted that he was not accountable to every member and that the constitution remained the final authority.
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