CHENNAI: THE Judo Federation of India (JFI) finally had an executive committee after four year when its election was conducted for an interim body on Monday. Former general secretary Mukesh Kumar has been elected the president of the interim EC that will focus on aligning the constitution with the National Sports Governance Act 2025.
Banee Brata Das of Assam has been elected as the general secretary while the treasurer will be Shailesh Tilak from Maharashtra. Busan Asian Games medallist and former India tennis star Manisha Malhotra, too, has made her foray into sports administration in a National Sports Federation. Manisha, who is president at the Inspire Institute of Sports, has worked with and supported multiple athletes in their endeavour to excel.
A seasoned administrator and a former Sports Authority of India official Kumar has been part of JFI for more than a decade. He said that their priority would be to focus on Commonwealth and Asian Games preparation. They would hold talks with players and the Indian Olympic Association for more updates to help judokas prepare for the mega Games. For now, though, the focus would be to streamline the JFI. Aaesha Munawar too was elected VP while Olympian and Arjuna Awardee Akram Shah was elected to the EC as an Outstanding Sportsperson of Merit.
The first thing the newly-elected body did was to reduce the yearly registration fees of athletes and officials. "We got feedback from athletes and officials and they said that the yearly registration fees were a bit high so we decided to reduce it," Kumar told The New Indian Express on Tuesday. The amount for athletes has been reduced to Rs 500 from Rs 1000 and for officials it is cut to Rs 1000 from Rs 3000. According to a circular, it will be in effect from July 1.
Kumar said that the main events are the Commonwealth and Asian Games for them. They are concentrating on CWG first. Selections have been done already and he said that they sent the entries on Tuesday after taking charge. They will short-list officials for CWG in a day or two. The president said they will meet sports ministry and IOA officials as well. They will redraft the constitution and align it with the National Sports Governance Act 2025 and Rules. "That will be our main objective and will discuss this with both the sports ministry and the IOA," he said.
He said that the JFI has requested the IOA for a physiotherapist for CWG. "Since they have sent the long list already, we have requested them to include it in the list they already sent because it is a contact sport," he said.
The election was held under the direction of the Delhi High Court that ruled in February that a constitution of an administrator cannot be accepted by the court. The single judge bench of Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that the administrator, JFI would call an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the purpose of conducting elections to the JFI.
The February order said that within the next two months from the date on which the AGM is held, the electoral college would be finalised and published as per the provisions of the NSG Act and the Rules framed. The court also directed the JFI general body to elect an interim executive committee who will take charge of administration from the administrator and would "make necessary amendments in the constitution of JFI and to take steps towards bringing the constitutions of its members, fully in line with the mandate of the NSG Act, and the Rules would conduct the elections under the provisions of the NSG Act and rules."
JFI Executive committee (interim): President: Mukesh Kumar; General secretary: Banee Brata Das; Treasurer: Shailesh Tilak; Vice Presidents: Aaesha Munawar, Manisha Malhotra, Ronnie Rosangavart, Devi Shree Kadampatil; Jt secretaries: Vikas Gupta, Vigesh G Bhakta, Venkat Namisetty, Renu Kajla
SOMs: L Sushila Devi, Akram Shah