JOIN USSports Secretary PK Deb said on Thursday that the Ministry has accepted the Athletics Federation of India's request to hold elections to the posts of its president, general secretary and treasurer in April along with its Annual General Body meeting.
The AFI in its Special General Body Meeting last month had deleted a contentious clause in its constitution regarding the elections to the president and general secretary, on the directions of the Sports Ministry, which also wanted the sports body to reconduct the polls to these posts within two months or before February 28, whichever is earlier.
But later on the AFI had written to the Ministry requesting it to allow to hold the elections in its AGM in April. “We have no issues if they want to have the elections in April along with the AGM. We have accepted it. The important thing is that the AFI has deleted the contentious clause from its constitution,” he said.
Deb also said the Ministry was waiting for an official communication from the International Olympic Committee on the proposed meeting among the IOA, IOC and the government representative to discuss the issue of IOA’s suspension. “We are waiting an official communication from the IOC,” he said.
The Sports Secretary disclosed that the Ministry has decided to start an ambitious plan to set up one Sports School in every district of the country to groom talented athletes. “We are setting up a District Sports School at all the 628 districts of the country. We will select 100 students in each school through competition and provide them education and sports training simultaneously. They will have to be given proper diet and training through expert coaches,” he said.