Three years ago, the Government of India formed an expert panel to draft the National Code for Good Governance in Sports 2017 (NCGGS 2017). The Code is currently in limbo as key stakeholders continue to disagree on what it should contain. This article analyses three of the main points of dispute in the NCGGS 2017: - The ban on politicians serving as board members in national sport federations (NSFs) - The age limit of 70 years for board members in NSFs - The four-year cooling-off period to be served after two consecutive terms for board members in NSFs This article assesses the rationale for the stated provisions, taking into account the extent to which they reflect international best practice and the specific circumstances of Indian sport. The purpose is not to come to a definitive view on the validity of the provisions, but rather to provide a deeper analysis of their merits and limitations. In the authors’ view, this kind critical debate has been missing from the wider discourse on the NCGGS 2017.