Section 4: National Sports Federations

4. National Sports Federations (1) (a) Subject to this section, there shall be, for each sport, one National Sports Federation which shall be responsible for the promotion and organisation of that sport. S27 – 5 [Issue 9] Sports Act (b) The Minister may, where 2 or more sports are technically similar, authorise, after consultation with the Mauritius Olympic Committee and the International Sports Federations of the sports concerned, a National Sports Federation to be responsible for those sports. (c) A National Sports Federation shall consist of sports clubs registered under the Registration of Associations Act for the practice of the sport for which the National Sports Federation is responsible. (2) No organisation shall operate as a National Sports Federation— (a) other than for the promotion and development of sports which are recognised by the International Olympic Committee or SportAccord; (b) unless it has in at least 3 sports regions, a minimum of 2 sports clubs operating per region; and (c) unless it has 50 licensees in an individual sport and 6 teams in team sports participating in its annual competitions. (3) A National Sports Federation shall— (a) abide by the rules specified in the Second Schedule and by the Registration of Associations Act; (b) abide by the rules of its international federation; (c) be the only organisation which shall be empowered, with regard to the sport for which it is responsible, to— (i) operate at national level; (ii) uphold the National flag on behalf of the State; (iii) engage Mauritian athletes in international competitions; (iv) seek and maintain affiliation with the appropriate international governing body; (v) issue a licence to— (A) a member of a sports club affiliated with it or with its regional sports committee, where appropriate; and (B) a Mauritian athlete, not being a member of a sports club responsible for an individual sport, who wishes to participate in a competition; and (vi) grant such championship award or title as it may consider appropriate. (4) A National Sports Federation shall, where applicable, be the only organisation— (a) to represent the sport for which it is responsible on the Mauritius Olympic Committee; and (b) affiliated with any other international governing body to which its Managing Committee may consider appropriate to affiliate. [Issue 9] S27 – 6 Revised Laws of Mauritius (5) Notwithstanding any other enactment, a National Sports Federation shall, in its appellation, include— (a) the word “Mauritius” or “Maurice”, as the case may be; (b) the name of the sport for which it caters for; and (c) the word “Federation” or “Association”.