CHENNAI: All eyes will be on the Supreme Court on Monday when suggestions and petitions regarding the recently amended Indian Olympic Association will be presented. The SC-appointed one-man committee retired judge L Nageswara Rao, who has drafted the constitution, is expected to throw more clarity on the all-important Athletes Commission.
The number of members that would constitute the commission is expected to be finalised and presented to the court. The count could be eight or 12. The nomination and selection process too would be spelt out. Even the scrutinising process to shortlist eight (four male and four female) Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SoMs) would be clearer. Some of the federations also feel that the clause that says Olympic/Asian/Commonwealth Games medallists can apply would be harsh on some as they may not have medallists. That could lead to skewed representation.
Another issue facing National Sports Federations (NSFs), who will be part of the general body, is representation of women in the general body with voting rights. According to the constitution, NSFs can be represented by one male and one female representative in the general body. They will have voting rights. Most NSFs don't have women as office-bearers.
The committee has received quite a few suggestions and representations from NSFs and State Olympic Associations, who have been stripped of their voting rights. The state units felt it was harsh on them. The NSFs are jittery with certain clauses that seem contradictory in nature. One federation has pointed out that on one hand, the constitution talks about following International Federation's constitution and statutes, while on the other, it says if NSFs don't abide by the 2011 National Sports Development Code of India, they will lose recognition.
Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, the original petitioner, too has listed out a few points that he said will be placed before the court. One such request would be to lock the constitution for a period of 12 years so that no changes can be made after the elections are over in December. He also said the representation of athletes in the general body too should increase from the 10 recommended in the constitution.