It’s turning out to be a disastrous year for sports and its administration. There have been multiple cases of litigations, ugly in-fighting and mud-slinging, suspensions of National Sports Federations, et al. The list definitely is not at all encouraging and as we head towards the end of the year, the Indian Olympic Association, the umbrella body of all sports in the country is facing suspension.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sent a final warning on Thursday during its Executive Board meeting and said if IOA’s house is not in order (issues like hold elections and all party resolve issues amicably) by next meeting in December, it will face sanctions.
To quote the letter: “To issue a final warning and consider the immediate suspension of the NOC of India at the next IOC Executive Board meeting in December 2022 if, by then, the NOC of India is not able to:
1. address and resolve its governance issues to the satisfaction of the IOC, in the interest of sport and the athletes; and 2. operate properly through its governing bodies, i.e. the Executive Committee and General Assembly, and fulfill its obligations, in particular by holding its quadrennial elections in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”
Also the IOC has proposed a joint meeting on September 27 at Lausanne with all stakeholders. According to IOA secretary general Mehta, three members from the IOA will be going to Lausanne. “The two senior vice presidents Anil Khanna and RK Anand and the secretary general (Mehta),” said Mehta. Another member who could be representing India is IOC member Nita Ambani.
“Since she is an IOC member from India, she will be part of the meeting,” Mehta said. Though the IOA has not specified who else will be going, there are indications that representatives of the sports ministry might accompany them. Mehta said that IOA will be working towards meeting the December deadline. “I am positive everything will be sorted by December,” he said.
Senior vice president Khanna, whose post of acting president was not recognised by the IOC, said it would be good if all stakeholders come together and resolve the issue. He did not want to comment on the IOC’s decision to not recognise his post of acting president but said “we should focus on larger issues”. He said that the IOC’s decision to call IOA for a meeting is a positive sign. “We have to work together and get IOA back on track,” he said. “All of us must come together. We have to fulfil the directives of the IOC. We have to chalk out a timeline and work towards finding a solution to the satisfaction of the IOC.”
Interestingly, though the IOC has indicated clearly to “operate properly through its governing bodies, i.e. the Executive Committee and General Assembly”, the IOA is yet to decide on a date for an executive committee meeting. The faction led by Adille Sumariwalla, who also claimed to be the IOA president earlier, had been demanding that the EC meeting be called and matters be decided on the house. However, Mehta, as of now, has not called for any such meeting. Even the composition of IOA representatives seems a little hazy with other faction saying there should be an EC meeting to decide the members. There is a tussle over this as well.
There is also the danger of going to Lausanne without calling for an EC meeting. The letter sent by the IOC indicates that it still recognises the EC despite claims to the contrary by the Mehta faction, whose contention is that the EC ceased to exist after December 14, when its four-year term was over. Since elections were not held, the EC did not exist. The IOC, on the contrary, has been insisting that EC does exist. The IOC’s position is simple. Hold elections under the existing constitution (2018) that was vetted by the IOC and in consonance with the Olympic Charter.
Full story: newindianexpress.com