CHENNAI: The Indian Golf Union (IGU) will hold its long-awaited annual general meeting on June 9. Some of the members and other officials will be in physical attendance in New Delhi, while the rest will join online.
The sole point on the agenda is opening an envelope containing the results of the elections held on December 15, 2018. Seventeen months is a long time to wait for the outcome after going through the election process, and it has been an eventful period.
The delay was caused by a court case challenging the formation of the electoral college, which was overturned by the Calcutta High Court in February. But the sports ministry didn’t renew the IGU’s recognition in the meanwhile, for not submitting a list of elected office-bearers as per the National Sports Development Code.
After the returning officer declares the result, it will be submitted to the Delhi High Court. Once it is approved and the ministry gives the all clear, IGU will have its recognition renewed.
The governing body of amateur golf in the country which assists in sending players to the Olympic and Asian Games, the IGU did receive ministry funding during the time when it didn’t have recognition, but its authority had been curbed.
“Members of the IGU have agreed to a virtual meeting. The returning officer, representatives of the sports ministry and Indian Olympic Association will be at the IGU office in New Delhi, along with some IGU officials. Members from the region who can turn up will also be there. Others will join online. Declaring results is the only agenda,” said Ishwar Achanta, acting treasurer of IGU.
This meeting was originally scheduled for March 23 before being called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions demanded an online AGM, for which there is no provision in the constitution of the IGU or other sports bodies in India.
Considering the circumstances, the IGU’s general body has approved this meeting. Athletics Federation of India was the first in the country to conduct an online special general meeting.
The IGU has 28 units. Each can have two representatives at the AGM and strength of the general body is 56. Achanta informed that decisions like according official status to an online meeting requires approval of 50 per cent of the general body Without saying how many will attend, he sounded confident that the minimum required number will be there.