CHENNAI: The much-awaited annual general meeting of the Indian Golf Union (IGU) will take place in Delhi on November 22. The main point on the agenda is completing the election process which could not be completed at the previous AGM in December 2018, following a court order.
After another order allowed the process to be completed, lockdown delayed the matter further. Complications arising out of the stay on the election process resulted in IGU getting derecognised by the sports ministry for violation of the National Sports Development Code. At present, the IGU is recognised till December 31, 2020.
Election of office-bearers and governing council members is expected to restore normalcy. IGU runs amateur golf, conducts junior tournaments and selects teams for Asian Games, Olympics and other events. The AGM offers members the provisions of being present physically and joining in online.
At the December 2018 meeting, candidates had been nominated for four office-bearers and eight governing council members. As per a court instruction, these names have been kept in a sealed envelope, which will be opened by a court-appointed returning officer on November 22.
Once the election process is completed, papers will once again be submitted to the court. It must be noted that CSR Reddy, who was in contention for a place in the governing council in 2018, passed away last year. Another, Lt Gen (retd) AKS Chandele, has crossed 70 and become ineligible following the age clause in the Sports Code. If they are elected, the IGU will have to hold fresh elections or nominate two new names in their place. In certain quarters there are talks that if elected, tenure of the new committee will be over almost immediately because the elections were held for the years 2018-20.
Acting IGU treasurer Ishwar Achanta said that cannot be the case since the previous AGM was not completed and no one was permitted to officially take over. "The tenure, as per Clause 30 of the IGU MoA (Memorandum of Association), starts from the date of assumption of office. Since the Dec15,2018 AGM was stayed, we are guided by this provision, in terms of having assumed office or not,” he said.