Fighting within IOA getting out of hand
The Commonwealth Games is just five months away, the Asian Games is seven months and the Indian Olympic Association is in a shambles. The two along with the Olympics are the three major events to which the IOA sends the names of athletes—not just to the organising nations but also to the sports ministry for approval. Besides players and coaches, the IOA also selects officials who would visit the Games under different capacities. It facilitates accreditation for visiting media too.
With the fight between IOA president Narinder Batra and secretary Rajeev Mehta raging, there seems to be uncertainty at an inopportune moment. The athletes and coaches of course would be selected by the respective federations but for other officials and the media, there is no clarity. Especially after the latest fight when Batra invalidated the official email ID and IOA website on February 8, which Mehta claimed was illegal. At another level, this sparring over not sharing the email password seems at best juvenile.
What is more perturbing is Mehta’s statement that there is no executive council because the tenure got over on December 14 when it finished four years in office and as per the IOA constitution, it has ceased to exist. This too would complicate matters. The IOA has not called for an annual general meeting or a special general meeting to extend the tenure of the executive council as of now.
The matter pertaining to the election and revised constitution to align it with the Sports Code is still pending in the Delhi High Court. With the tussle between the president and secretary becoming bitter, things are expected to get worse. There is no sign of truce after a meeting before the AGM on December 19. With big-ticket events just a few months away, the IOA should get its house in order. At the same time, one hopes the court decides on the matter soon. Otherwise, the chaos has the potential to rip apart the current dispensation in the IOA, irrespective of whose side one is on. As of now it seems the situation is getting out of hand.