JOIN USThe joint meeting of members of the suspended Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Ministry with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) hangs in jeopardy with the recent standoff over the Sports Bill.
The meeting between the Indian representatives (IOA and Sports Ministry) with the IOC was scheduled on April 15 and 16 in Lausanne to work out a way to revoke the suspension of the IOA.
Acting president of the suspended IOA Vijay Kumar Malhotra shot off a letter to Sports Minister Jitendra Singh asking him to clarify their stand over the controversial Sports Code and the Sports Bill, for which the ministry has now constituted a committee to re-draft it.
Reiterating that the IOA suspension was the result of government sport code being followed as per the High Court’s directives in the elections, Malhotra said it was not acceptable to them as it violates the Olympic charter.
He said they were not taken into confidence while setting up the committee to re-draft the Sports Bill, saying it comprised of “IOA baiters”.
“We are rather surprised that during this tenure of talks of settling the issue with the kind indulgence of IOC, you have set up a committee to re-draft the bill, without consulting us on the issue, whatsoever,” Malhotra wrote.
“We are opposed to such a move, as the motive is again in breach of the Olympic Charter and would surely create more problems, for perpetuity, rather than finding an amicable solution. Further the committee appointed by the government includes known IOA baiters and thus it is highly biased and would act in a totally prejudicial manner to the interest of Sports and Olympic movement in the country. This contradictory stand of the government defeats all logic.”
Malhotra said the visit to Lausanne would be futile if the two parties could not bury the hatchet. “It is in the best interest of the country that your position is clarified to all before we proceed to Lausanne on the invitation by the IOC. You will appreciate that unless there is unanimity between us (the IOA & the Government) or a common platform to discuss, a visit to Lausanne will be futile and reflect a poorer image of our nation,” he stated.
A furious sports ministry official called this an attempt to sabotage the talk process. “Whenever there is a consensus, they would come up with such a thing to sabotage the progress,” he said.