The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the validity of the National Sports Code capping age and tenure of office bearers in the Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federations. A division bench of Justice Ravinder Bhat and Justice Nazmi Waziri said the central government can insist upon adherence to the sports code, without the aid of legislation. It held the provisions of the sports code are "neither arbitrary" nor does it "violate any freedom under the Constitution". The Sports Development Code 2011, framed by the government, barred more than 12 and 8 years of tenure for president and other office-bearers including secretary and Treasurer, for any sports federation along with setting a maximum age of 70 years to officiate. The court judgment came on a petition filed by IOA challenging the implementation of the sports code on sports bodies on the ground that the government does not possess any power to impose through guidelines, restrictions on the functioning of autonomous bodies such as IOA and NFSs.