The Indian Olympic Association is embroiled in a mess that could have been easily avoided. It unnecessarily elevated Commonwealth Games scam-tainted former IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi and former president Abhay Singh Chautala as life presidents without consulting any of the members of its governing house. Worse still is its argument that Kalmadi was honoured because of his ‘valuable’ 12-year tenure. Interestingly, Chautala doesn’t even fit this bill. After he became president in 2012, the IOA was suspended by the International Olympic Council for lack of ‘ethics and good governance’. So what was the IOA thinking?
However, when it comes to ethics and good governance, the IOA is not alone in not having them. Almost all National Sports Federations (NSFs) are enmeshed in this morass. The only way out is to enact a law that forbids people with a shadowy background from grabbing positions of power in NSFs. The sports ministry has for a while been trying to amend the Sports Code Bill but it is yet to see the light of day. If the government is serious about tackling such issues, it has to amend the Bill and forbid people with corruption charges against them or a criminal background from taking control of NSFs. Otherwise there will be an unending fight between the government and sports bodies. Federations will always hide behind the garb of autonomy. Wouldn’t it be better to have a law to avoid such a situation? This will not only address the IOA issue, it will address all sports bodies’ issues including the BCCI. As most politicians and bureaucrats have some interest or the other in sports bodies, they are the ones who are blocking the Bill.
In this tussle for power, the IOA is on the back foot this time. Right now, after a disastrous Rio Olympics, it has become a punching bag. It does not enjoy public support. So the matter might be settled soon. To avoid such embarrassment in the future, a Sports Bill is a must.