India Considers 'Sports Passport' for Overseas Citizens to Compete

Introduction of Sports Passport for OCI

The Indian government is exploring the possibility of creating a "Sports Passport" for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), aimed at enabling them to represent India in various sports. The Ministry of Youth Affairs is currently in discussions with the Ministry of External Affairs to devise a strategy for integrating overseas athletes into the Indian sports framework.

This initiative is still in the conceptual phase, as it would necessitate amendments to the Citizenship Act to allow OCI players to compete for India. Both ministries are collaborating to draft a comprehensive framework. With India's bid for the 2036 Olympics gaining momentum, this move is viewed as a progressive step.

A senior official from the ministry indicated that the inclusion of OCI players is intended to enhance India's performance in sports where the nation has been underperforming, with football being a primary focus. The increasing number of Indian-origin athletes abroad has prompted the ministry to actively consider OCI participation. Notably, four Indian-origin players are set to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026: Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand), Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo), Nishan Velupillay (Australia), and Tahsin Jamshid (Qatar).

Currently, Indian law restricts representation at the international level to Indian citizens only, and dual citizenship is not permitted. Consequently, Indian-origin athletes residing overseas must renounce their current citizenship to obtain an Indian passport for eligibility. Recently, Ryan Williams relinquished his Australian citizenship to join the Indian men's football team. To address this challenge, the ministry has proposed the introduction of a "Sports Passport" to streamline the process for Indian-origin athletes. Several countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, and Spain, already issue sports passports to support their national teams.