JOIN USThe Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday asserted that its election process is in conformity with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines’ and has assured the world body in its reply that it will not permit government interference in their functioning.
The IOA said it has always adhered to the Olympic Charter and unequivocally supported IOC’s stand on the autonomy of the National Olympic Committees (NOC) and National Sports Federations (NSF).
The IOA acting president VK Malhotra said there was no government interference in the elections process which have followed 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 scrutinised in accordance with the IOA constitution,” Malhotra said on Saturday.
Malhotra said the IOA has opposed the Sports Code from the beginning.
“We met the Prime Minister last year and after that have been repeatedly voicing our opposition to this so called (Sports) Code and other attempts by the government to interfere in the affairs of the IOA and NSF,” Malhotra said.
Malhotra said he has written to the IOC chief Jacques Rogge that it will preserve the Olympic charter in the conduct of its elections and is confident that IOC will appreciate the IOA’s point of view.
The IOC had written to IOA warning them of disaffiliation and had asked them to explain their position by November 30.