China "has slashed the budget for its National Games by 78 percent amid dramatically slowing economic growth and a government campaign to rein in public spending." National Games Organizing Committee Deputy Dir He Min said that spending on the 12th Games, to be held on Aug. 31-Sept. 12 in the northeastern province of Liaoning, will be kept to a maximum of 800M yuan ($130M). That's down from the original figure of 3.6B yuan ($586M) (SINA, 7/12). ... A General Administration of Sport of China official denied Thursday to the Global Times that the Chinese FA "will be made independent from the administration." The reply came after a report that both agencies "are going to take the big step in order to reform the often-corrupt Chinese football industry" (GLOBAL TIMES, 7/12). ... The Board of Control for Cricket in India "may reportedly come under increased scrutiny from the Indian government under a proposed national sports bill." Although the Indian cricket board is not answerable to the government because of its independent funding, it, however, "may become a public authority under the Right To Information Act if the bill is passed" (ANI, 7/11).
