Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Handball Association has strengthened its organisational structure in line with the spirit of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, with a focus on transparency, accountability, good governance and greater representation of athletes in sports administration.
The decisions were taken at the association’s recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lucknow. The new structure includes four specialised boards for coaching, technical affairs, selection and refereeing, along with separate women’s and men’s athlete commissions aimed at giving players a stronger voice in organisational matters.
Association chairman Dr Sudhir M. Bobde, a retired IAS officer, and president Alka Das joined the AGM virtually. The association has also once again entrusted Amit Pandey with the responsibility of Executive General Secretary.
Announcing the organisational decisions, Uttar Pradesh Handball Association general secretary Dr Anandeswar Pandey said that with the implementation of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, sports bodies need to make their administrative systems more transparent, accountable and professionally structured. He said the association was working to improve coaching, selection, technical systems and refereeing while creating an effective platform for athletes to raise their concerns and suggestions.
Amit Pandey’s reappointment reflects the association’s confidence in his organisational experience and long-standing involvement in handball. Director of Varanasi Public School, Pandey has also been active in the sporting field. As Executive General Secretary, he will be responsible not only for administrative coordination but also for strengthening handball activities across Uttar Pradesh, improving coordination among the specialised boards and facilitating better communication between players and the association.
The association has also indicated a larger organisational role for Pandey in the future. Dr Anandeswar Pandey said his name would be proposed for the post of state general secretary in the next organisational formation after the completion of the current term, citing his active involvement, commitment to the organisation and continued engagement with players.
Under the new structure, the Coaching Board will be headed by Mohammad Tauheed, with Mohammad Irfan as convenor. The Technical Board will have Dr Sandeep Gupta as chairman and Dr Devesh as convenor. The Selection Board will be headed by Sanjay Rai, with Dr Sumant Pandey as convenor. The Referee Board will have Parminder Singh as chairman and Shams Tabrez Shampu as convenor.
The Women’s Athlete Commission will be headed by Jyoti Shukla, with Manjula Pathak as convenor. The Men’s Athlete Commission will have Sachin Bhardwaj as chairman and Mohit Yadav as convenor.
The association said the separation of responsibilities among specialised boards would help develop an expertise-based system for coaching, technical matters, player selection and refereeing. At the same time, the athlete commissions are expected to ensure that players’ concerns and suggestions are formally represented at the organisational level.
The new framework is aimed at strengthening handball in Uttar Pradesh from the district level to the national stage. The association plans to focus on better training opportunities, transparent selection processes, improved technical support and wider avenues for talented players to progress in the sport.
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