New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today asserted that it’s election process is in conformity with its constitution and Olympic charter.
The IOA also said that it has always adhered to the Olympic Charter and unequivocally supported International Olympic Committee’s stand on the autonomy of the National Olympic Committees (NOC) and National Sports Federations (NSF).
Talking to media persons here this afternoon, IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the elections are being conducted by three member Commission consisting of eminent Jurists and there was no rejection of nomination papers on any pretext. The whole exercise is very fair, free and transparent.
Malhotra said that he has always resolutely opposed the Sports Code and for last two years “IOA has many a time called upon the Government to scrape this ill conceived code”
“We met the Prime Minister last year and after that have been repeatedly voicing our opposition to this so called Code and other attempts by the Government to interfere in the affairs of the IOA and NSF”.
Malhotra said he has written to the IOC chief Jacques Rogge assuring him that autonomy of the IOA shall be “preserved and protected and no interference of any economic and political angle shall be permitted. The IOA firmly gives a commitment to you that the elections are being held and will be held preserving the Olympic charter”,
“We would like to join hands with you to resolve the issue so as to see that the Government (of India) withdraws the Guidelines/Sports Code”
He said he was confident that the IOC will appreciate IOA’s point of view and will not do anything which will have adverse impact on the Olympic movement in India.
The acting president said that IOA was caught in a very piquant situation. On the one hand Government of India had threatened it with de-recognition if it does not accept its Sports Code. The High Court had directed that elections should be conducted according to the IOA Constitution and Sports Code and the IOC had insisted that there should be no violation of its Charter and interference by the Government.
He said as things stand there was no government interference in the elections process which went ahead as per the IOA Constitution and Olympic Charter. “The (IOA) election commission has informed me that none of the nominations have been rejected on account of the Government Guidelines. All the nominations have been filed strictly and scrutinized in accordance with the IOA constitution”
He said ” I am surprised at the attempts being made by some disgruntled elements to create confusion regarding the elections. Before and after the elections were announced and till the last date of filling of nominations no body raised any objection on any ground. In fact out going Secretary General himself went to the Sports Ministry to get a letter from it saying that he is eligible to contest the elections”
The IOA acting Chief said that the outgoing Secretary General Randhir Singh was party to every IOA decision. It was he who used to call the meetings, write the minutes of the meetings and was privy to every correspondence IOA had with the Government.
He urged Randhir Singh not to do anything which may harm the interests of the Indian sports and Sports person.” He should use his clout to protect the interests of the country and its sports persons”
By Indian Sports News Network