Not Entirely A Smooth Ride: A Look At The Major Controversies In Indian Sport In 2025

The year 2025 saw some testing times in the Indian sports ecosystem. It revealed critical flaws in governance, safety protocols, and integrity. While athletes achieved success, the country faced severe administrative crises, a shocking safety failure, and diplomatic rows. These drew unwanted international attention.

Chinnaswamy Stadium Stampede Tragedy

The most devastating controversy of 2025 occurred following the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden Indian Premier League title win. A celebration event organized near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru turned catastrophic. On June 4, 2025, a massive crowd crush (stampede) erupted outside the stadium entrance as fans gathered to congratulate the team and see the trophy. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of 11 fans and injuries to over 30 people. The Karnataka government lodged a complaint and initiated an investigation, accusing the RCB administration of organizing the event without necessary permissions and sufficient security arrangements. The incident served as a shocking reminder that sporting euphoria requires robust crowd-management planning to prevent fatal consequences.

The India-Pakistan 'No-Handshake' and Trophy Snub

Geopolitical tensions created major diplomatic flashpoints during the 2025 Asia Cup, which had already been shifted to the UAE due to political issues between India and Pakistan. Indian team players refused to shake hands with Pakistani opponents in all three matches, citing the Pahalgam terrorist attack as the reason. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed it was a "collective decision" approved by the team management and the BCCI, noting that "some things are beyond sportsmanship". The Pakistan Cricket Board formally protested the move, calling it against the "spirit of cricket". Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was suspended for two matches and Indian captain Surya Kumar Yadav fined 30% match fee for bringing politics into sport. Sahibzada Farhan was reprimanded too.

The controversy climaxed during the final, which India won. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who held the position of Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council and was also a senior Pakistani official,. Naqvi refused to step aside, leading to the presentation ceremony being delayed by over an hour. The event eventually concluded without the Indian team receiving the trophy. 

The Indian Super League (ISL) Season Postponement

Messi came. Messi went. He left fans breathless. But that did not change the fate of Indian football that sunk into its deepest crisis. The beautiful game in India faced a major disruption when the ISL 2025-26 season was officially placed on hold in July 2025. The crisis stemmed from the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) needing clarity on renewing its Master Rights Agreement with the All India Football Federation AIFF, which was due to expire on December 8, 2025.

Negotiations to renew the 15-year Master Rights Agreement, signed in 2010, stalled for months, creating uncertainty about the league's commercial future.

Twelve ISL clubs jointly informed the AIFF and the Supreme Court that they faced the real possibility of shutting down entirely without a valid contractual framework. The pause led to severe anxiety and financial distress among clubs, players, and coaches.

The Supreme Court eventually intervened, asking the AIFF and FSDL to negotiate in "good faith" to unlock the 2025-26 calendar. The league was expected to resume in the last week of October but no signs of resumption yet. Indian football's second division, I-league has also been left without a commercial partner, throwing its future in jeopardy.

India Tops Global Doping Charts for Third Consecutive Year

India earned the 'dubious distinction' of having the highest number of dope cheats globally for the third year running. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) annual report for 2024, 260 Indian athletes tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, making India the only country worldwide with a triple-digit violation count. Athletics was the worst affected sport, accounting for 76 cases, followed by Weightlifting with 43, and Wrestling with 29,. This growing crisis was explicitly flagged by the International Olympic Committee as a major concern for India's 2036 Olympic bid. WADA data also showed that India ranked second only to Russia in doping violations among underage athletes.3

Dog bite and sexual harassment at World sports events

Two foreign coaches were bitten by stray dogs during the World Para Athletics Championships held at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. This exposed event safety and preparedness. The incident occurred near the warm-up track where Kenyan coach Dennis Mwanzo and Japanese coach Mieko Okumatsu were injured. Although Delhi's civic authorities reportedly rushed to catch the dogs around the venue following the event, the damage was done. International teams voiced serious concerns regarding the basic safety and preparation standards at one of para-sport world meet.

A disturbing incident during the Women's World Cup cast a shadow over the tournament after two Australian women cricketers were allegedly sexually harassed while visiting Indore. The episode sparked outrage and raised serious questions about safety and accountability. The controversy deepened when BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya suggested the players should have informed authorities before stepping out, a remark that drew sharp criticism for appearing to shift the onus onto the victims rather than addressing the crime itself.

Topics mentioned in this article

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