National Article Writing Competition on Governing Clean & Safe Sports

The UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports at National Law University Delhi invites entries for its National Article Writing Competition on the theme 'Governing Clean Sport: Ethics and Emerging Challenges.' The Chair is a pioneering initiative under the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, aimed at advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration in sports law and clean sport across Asian countries, serving as a hub for academic institutions, researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, conduct research and develop educational programmes.

The initiative is aligned with the work of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India, which promotes clean sport through education, testing and enforcement, and safeguards athletes' health and fair play in line with international standards.

India's sports law landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, marked by the recent National Sports Governance Act, 2025, the criminalisation of doping offences under Chapter 6A of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022, and expanding jurisprudence from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) involving Indian athletes, alongside intersections with other branches of law such as IPR and Data Protection.

The Article Writing Competition aims to promote the ongoing debates and address the grey areas concerning the realm of Sports Law.

Broad theme: Governing Clean & Safe Sports: Ethics and Emerging Challenges. Participants may write on any topic falling within the broad theme, or on any of the following sub-headings:

• Anti-doping law and the criminalisation of doping under Chapter VI A of the NADA Act, 2022.
• Athlete rights, due process, and natural justice before CAS and domestic disciplinary tribunals.
• The National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
• Intellectual Property Rights in Sports: Broadcasting Rights, Athlete personality/publicity rights, and sponsorship.
• Emerging issues: AI-assisted officiating and performance analytics, e-sports regulation and NFTs in sports.
• Comparative and TWAIL perspectives on global sports governance and the Global South's position within WADA/CAS structures.

• Open to UG & PG law students and early-career researchers, academicians and lawyers.
• Co-authorship of the manuscript is permitted.
• Word limit: 3000-5000 words, exclusive of footnotes.
• The abstract should not exceed 200 words and will be counted within the footnote limit.

• Footnote formatting must strictly follow OSCOLA 4th edition.
• The similarity index (excluding footnotes/bibliography) must be below 15 per cent.
• The submission must not be under review or accepted elsewhere at the time of submission.
• The usage of AI for any purpose is strictly prohibited.

Detailed formatting: Use initial capitals for all words except prepositions and articles. Headings must follow the format: 1. First Order Heading; 1.1 Second Order Heading; 1.1.1 Third Level Heading.

All entries undergo a double-blind review by a panel comprising the Chair, an academician well-versed in sports, and any other person found suitable. Evaluation is weighted out of 100 marks:

• Originality and depth of legal analysis - 30
• Doctrinal accuracy and use of primary sources (statutes, CAS awards, and other case laws) - 20
• Structure, clarity and academic writing quality - 25
• Practical or policy relevance to Indian/global sports governance - 15
• Citations, references and their relevance to the subject matter - 10

Registration fee: Single Author - Rs. 300; Co-Authorship - Rs. 500.

Copyright policy: The copyright of the manuscript shall vest with the UNESCO Chair for Clean Sports. No commercial use of the publication shall be done by the author. Cross-posting of the published article is prohibited and will result in disqualification and future debarring from any event organised by the Chair.