VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to resolve disputes between Olympic associations in the State, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has come forward to appoint an ‘Arbitration Commission’ following the guidelines of Hyderabad High Court, said Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association (APOA) general secretary R K Purushottam.Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Purushottam said that the APOA, headed by Guntur MP Galla Jayadev, was recognised by the IOA a few months ago. Another Olympic Association headed by Rajya Sabha MP C M Ramesh is creating obstructions for the development of sports in the residual Andhra Pradesh, he alleged.
Cases have been filed against APOA former treasurer K P Rao for making derogatory comments against the association, he said.‘’We welcome the decision of the High Court bench to constitute an Arbitration Commission with retired judges and seeking them to resolve the disputes between both the associations,” Purushottam said.
He also refuted the allegations levelled by the Ramesh group that Galla Jayadev’s close association with IOA president Ramachandran led to Jayadev’s group getting recognition from the IOA.
The APOA general secretary said that their association had already deposited `5 crore with IOA for conducting the National Games in the State. ‘’We are ready to present our arguments before the Arbitration Commission and we are confident that the decision will be taken in favour of our association,” said Purushottam.The APOA vice president S M Sultan and general secretary A Raghavendra were also present at the news conference.