#e4mExclusive:  MIB drops Indira Gandhi Gold Cup from National Importance Sports List

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has removed the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup for Women hockey tournament from the list of sporting events classified as being of "national importance", marking one of the most notable changes in the government's revised notification governing mandatory sports broadcast sharing with public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.

The removal of the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup is particularly significant given the tournament's place in Indian women's hockey history.

The international women's hockey competition was launched in 1984 as a tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and emerged as one of the country's most prominent women's hockey tournaments. Over its lifetime, the event was held seven times and attracted leading international teams. After its 1996 edition, the tournament went into a prolonged nine-year hiatus before being revived in 2005 for what turned out to be its seventh and final edition.

The revival tournament was staged at the historic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium from October 1 to 8, 2005 in which India defeated Australia in penalties by 3-1 after a 2-2 draw. 

The change in MIB notification emerges from a comparison of the government's latest notification issued on June 11, 2026, and the earlier framework notified on May 9, 2022. While most marquee sporting events have retained their status, the exclusion of the historic women's hockey tournament stands out amid a broader restructuring of the list.

The revised notification, issued under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, supersedes the 2022 notification that had governed which sporting events must be shared with Prasar Bharati for free-to-air broadcasting.

A senior policy executive said, “The Indira Gandhi Gold Cup for Women was discontinued in 2005, and adding it to the list of events of national importance does not make sense, as the tournament is no longer held. Its inclusion in the list appears to have been an error on the part of the ministry.”

Under the 2022 notification, the hockey category explicitly included the "Indira Gandhi Gold Cup for Women" with its semi-finals and finals classified as sporting events of national importance. This status effectively ensured wider public access through the mandatory sharing provisions of the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act.

However, the tournament no longer figures in the revised 2026 list.

The omission means that the event will no longer automatically qualify for mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharati under the national importance framework, unless covered through other arrangements or future notifications. The event saw its final leg in 2005. 

The Indira Gandhi Women's Gold Cup has historically been among India's prominent women's hockey competitions and has served as a platform for international participation and development of women's hockey in the country.

Hockey category streamlined

The revised notification substantially reshapes the hockey section.

In the 2022 framework, the list covered:

• Hockey World Cup matches involving India, along with semi-finals and finals.
• Champions Trophy matches involving India and the final.
• Indira Gandhi Women's Gold Cup semi-finals and finals.
• Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship.
• Hockey India Academy National Championship.
• Junior Men's Hockey World Cup.
• Sultan Azlan Shah Cup matches involving India.
• FIH Hockey Pro League matches.

In the new 2026 notification, the government has retained all major international and developmental tournaments but removed the Indira Gandhi Women's Gold Cup from the list.

As a result, the revised hockey roster now consists of:

• Hockey World Cup matches involving India and knockout stages.
• Champions Trophy matches involving India and finals.
• Hockey India Sub-Junior National Championship.
• Hockey India Academy National Championship.
• Hockey Men's Junior World Cup.
• Sultan Azlan Shah Cup matches involving India.
• FIH Hockey Pro League matches.

The inclusion of Hockey India's junior and academy championships continues to underline the government's focus on grassroots and talent-development competitions.

Wider overhaul of sports list

The changes are not limited to hockey.

The government has also streamlined the Khelo India category. While the 2022 notification separately listed Khelo India Games, School Games, Youth Games, University Games, Games for differently-abled athletes, Indigenous Sports Games and Winter Games, the 2026 notification replaces these individual references with a broader category covering "Khelo India Mission related Games, Competitions and Leagues."

Officials say the revised language provides greater flexibility as the Khelo India ecosystem continues to expand into new formats and competitions.

Similarly, cricket coverage has been expanded in certain areas. The Asia Cup category now explicitly includes the Super-4 stage in addition to semi-finals and finals, reflecting the tournament's evolving structure.

Corrigendum addresses cricket drafting error

Following the June 11 notification, the ministry also issued a corrigendum on June 23 correcting an error in the English version of the cricket section.

The original text had mistakenly referred to matches played by the "Indian Men's and Women's Cricket World Cup Team". The corrigendum clarified that the provision applies to all official matches played by the Indian men's and women's cricket teams.

The correction did not alter the substantive scope of the notification but addressed a drafting anomaly in the published English text.