Randhir explains decision to contest

Indian Olympic Association Secretary-General Randhir Singh on Wednesday confirmed that he will contest for the IOA president’s post in the elections scheduled for November 25.

Randhir Singh had stated last year that he wouldn’t contest the elections but as the date of the elections neared, it was clear that he would be in the running for the president’s post even though he did not comment on the possibility.

However, a few members of the IOA had hit out at the move on Monday, and Randhir Singh, in a letter to the IOA members, confirmed his decision to contest the polls and explained the reasons for changing his earlier stance.

“I had made up my mind not to contest these elections last year because of the mess created by the numberous scams regarding the 2010 Commonwealth Games. What should have been the Indian Olympic Association’s finest hour, unfortunately because of the actions of a few, opened us up for ridicule,” he wrote.

“However my senior colleagues in the IOA and eiminent sportspersons prevailed on me to reconsider my decision for the sake of Indian sport which is going through a turbulent phase. Faced with this, I had no choice but to withdraw my decision,” the letter stated,