National Article Writing Competition 2026 on Clean & Safe Sports
The UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports, National Law University (NLU) Delhi, has announced the National Article Writing Competition 2026 under the theme “Governing Clean & Safe Sports: Ethics and Emerging Challenges.” The competition aims to encourage critical legal research on sports governance, anti-doping regulations, athlete rights, emerging technologies, and contemporary developments in sports law.
The competition is open to law students, academicians, researchers, and legal professionals across India who wish to contribute to the evolving discourse on clean and ethical sports governance.
About UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports
The UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports functions under the UNESCO Chairs Programme, which promotes international academic cooperation and research. Hosted by National Law University Delhi, the Chair focuses on strengthening legal scholarship and collaboration in the field of sports law and clean sports throughout Asia.
Its primary objectives include:
- Promoting research in sports law and anti-doping regulations.
- Encouraging collaboration among universities, researchers, and legal professionals.
- Developing educational initiatives related to clean sports governance.
- Supporting interdisciplinary research involving sports law, ethics, governance, and public policy.
- Building international partnerships with academic institutions and stakeholders working in sports integrity.
About National Law University Delhi
National Law University Delhi is one of India’s leading law schools, recognized for its excellence in legal education, research, and policy development. The university offers interdisciplinary legal education while promoting innovation, academic excellence, and international collaborations.
NLU Delhi is known for:
- High-quality legal education.
- Advanced legal research and policy advocacy.
- Strong national and international academic collaborations.
- Focus on justice, constitutional values, and legal innovation.
- Specialized research centres working on emerging areas of law.
About National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India works to ensure fair competition by promoting clean sports through education, anti-doping testing, awareness programmes, and enforcement of anti-doping regulations. It operates according to internationally accepted anti-doping standards and promotes integrity within India’s sporting ecosystem.
Background of the Competition
India’s sports law framework has witnessed significant developments with the introduction of:
- National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
- Criminalisation of doping offences under Chapter VI-A of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.
- Increasing decisions involving Indian athletes before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
- Growing legal intersections involving intellectual property, privacy, artificial intelligence, and data protection in sports.
Keeping these developments in view, the competition seeks scholarly articles that analyse legal and policy challenges affecting modern sports governance.
Competition Theme
Governing Clean & Safe Sports: Ethics and Emerging Challenges
Participants may write on any topic related to the broad theme.
Suggested Topics
Applicants may choose subjects including:
- Anti-doping law and criminalisation of doping under Chapter VI-A of the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.
- Athlete rights and procedural fairness before CAS and domestic disciplinary bodies.
- National Sports Governance Act, 2025.
- Intellectual Property Rights in sports.
- Broadcasting rights.
- Athlete personality and publicity rights.
- Sports sponsorship laws.
- Artificial Intelligence in sports officiating and performance analytics.
- Regulation of e-sports.
- NFTs and digital assets in sports.
- Comparative perspectives on global sports governance.
- TWAIL (Third World Approaches to International Law) perspectives in sports governance.
- Representation of Global South countries within WADA and CAS.
Eligibility
The competition is open to:
- Undergraduate law students.
- Postgraduate law students.
- Early-career researchers.
- Academicians.
- Advocates and legal professionals.
Co-authorship is permitted.
Submission Guidelines
Participants should ensure that:
- Article length should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words.
- Footnotes are excluded from the word count.
- Abstract should not exceed 200 words.
- Manuscript should be original.
- The paper should not be under consideration elsewhere.
- Similarity index must remain below 15% (excluding footnotes and bibliography).
- Use of Artificial Intelligence for preparing submissions is prohibited.
- Footnotes must strictly follow OSCOLA 4th Edition citation style.
Formatting Requirements
Authors should follow the prescribed heading hierarchy:
- First Order Heading
- Second Order Heading
- Third Order Heading
Use initial capital letters for all major words except articles and prepositions.
Important Dates
- Call for Entries: 27 July 2026
- Last Date for Submission: 20 September 2026
- Result Declaration: 15 October 2026
Evaluation Criteria
Entries will undergo a double-blind peer review.
Evaluation will be based on:
- Originality and depth of legal analysis – 30 Marks
- Doctrinal accuracy and use of statutes, CAS awards, and case law – 20 Marks
- Structure, clarity, and academic writing quality – 25 Marks
- Practical or policy relevance – 15 Marks
- Citations and references – 10 Marks
Prize Money
Successful participants will receive:
- First Prize: Certificate and Cash Award of ₹10,000
- Second Prize: Certificate and Cash Award of ₹8,000
- Third Prize: Certificate and Cash Award of ₹5,000
Registration Fee
- Single Author: ₹300
- Co-Authors: ₹500
Copyright Policy
Participants should note the following conditions:
- Copyright of accepted manuscripts shall vest with the UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports.
- Commercial use of published articles is prohibited.
- Cross-posting of published articles is not permitted.
- Violation of the copyright policy may result in disqualification and restriction from future events organised by the Chair.
Key Highlights
- National-level article writing competition.
- Organised by UNESCO Chair for Legal Dimensions of Clean Sports, NLU Delhi.
- Focus on sports law, governance, ethics, and emerging legal challenges.
- Open to students, researchers, academicians, and lawyers.
- Cash prizes up to ₹10,000.
- Double-blind peer review process.
- OSCOLA 4th Edition citation mandatory.
- Last date for submission: 20 September 2026.
- Results to be announced on 15 October 2026.
Links
Brochures: Brochure-Article-Writing-20July.pdf
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