IOC issues revised schedule

Suspended IOA to hold AGM in August and elections a month later

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has come up with a revised schedule for lifting the suspension on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), its elections now being deferred to late September.

In the roadmap to bring India back into the Olympic fold, the IOC had initially set a July 15 deadline for the amendment of IOA Constitution and September 1 for the elections.

The IOC, in its last communication on June 28, had sought for more time for looking into the draft of the revised IOA constitution. A fresh communication from the world body, dated July 6, now cleared that it would send its comments on the new IOA Constitution only by mid-August, thus delaying the process by a month.

“Further to my letter of 28 June, I am pleased to confirm that the IOC will be able to send all its comments on the new IOA Constitution by mid-August 2013,” IOC director general Christophe De Kepper said in a letter.

The letter has been addressed to Sport Minister Jitender Singh and Sports Secretary PK Deb, acting president of the suspended IOA Vijay Kumar Malhotra,  IOC member and secretary general of the suspended IOA, Raja Randhir Singh besides the other members of the suspended IOA.

As per the new schedule, the extraordinary general meeting would now take place between August 22-28 and the elections a month later.

“This means that the first step of the process, namely the Extraordinary Meeting to (i) adopt the revised Constitution, (ii) elect the independent election commission and (iii) decide upon the exact date of the Elective General Assembly, as per the IOC roadmap of 24 May 2013, will be slightly postponed and shall now take place in the period between August 22 and 28, 2013 (considering also the fact that the Asian Youth Games will begin on August 16),” Kepper said.

“As a consequence, the Elective General Assembly shall be held one month later, namely between September 22 and 28, 2013.”

The IOC also said it would be confirm the names of its representatives/observers for these meetings “in due course.”

The IOC had suspended India on December 4 last because of government interference and violation of Olympic charter.