New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today lashed out at the Sports ministry for interfering in its affairs and its election process.
It also took strong objection to Secretary Sports P.K. Deb writing to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president about IOA and called it a Government‘s assault on the autonomy of the Sports Federations of the country.
In a communiqué to IOC president Jacques Rogge, the IOA Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the letter by the Sports Secretary to the International body is a bizarre testimony of the half truths and distorted facts by the very senior official of the Government of India”.
“To start with, the very fact that Dev has directly written to you and the IOC bypassing the Indian Olympic Association, shows the Government’s intentions, interests and interference in the affairs of the IOA.”
“The double speak of the Government of India (GOI) is clear as on one hand it says that it has no‘intentions whatsoever to interfere in the functioning of the IOA’ and on the other it is insisting that National Sports Federations (NSF) should accept it’s so called Sports Code.” He wrote
“Just to give you an example the Sports Ministry of the GOI has written to me seeking the information regarding the just held elections of the office bearers of the Archery Association of India (AAI). It seeks details of age and tenures held by the office bearers.”
“The Sports Code of the GOI violates everything for which the IOA constitution and the IOC charter stand for.”
“I am surprised at the audacity of the Sports Ministry of the Government of India to misrepresent the IOA at the highest international forum.” Prof Malhotra said
“The only bone of contention between the IOA and the Government is the Sports Code which we have rejected out rightly”.
The IOA has been very transparent in its dealing and actions. It has followed the principles of Good Governance as desired by the IOC.
IOA’s constitution has been amended as per the IOC charter and has been approved by the IOC and to say that IOA lacks good governance is patently wrong.
IOC in its several communiqués to the IOA has repeatedly stressed on the need of international autonomy.
The IOC had made it clear in the letters to the IOA that “‘the NOC internal operations, decision making mechanisms, election arrangements etc all come under the exclusive responsibility and competence of the NOC and must not be subject to any external pressure or interference”
”The number of terms of the office-bearers and (ii) a potential age limit for the members of the NOC or the NSF shall not be decided or imposed by law or external body’s decision but shall be decided by the respective organizations”.
The Sports Code of the Government of India is exactly opposite to the Olympic Charter.
Meanwhile the election process for the IOA has commenced with candidates having filed their nominations.
Scrutiny of the papers is scheduled for 24th November and withdrawals of nominations are slated from 25th to 29th November and the Elections will be held on 5th December 2012.
As for as Deb’s suggestion of a meeting between the IOA, IOC and Government of India’s officials, I have no objection provided Sports Ministry puts the Sports Code in abeyance. Prof Malhotra added.
By Indian Sports News Network