IOC rejects IOA's compromise formula

The Indian Olympic Association’s exile from the Olympic fold continues with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refusing to accept any alternative to its proposed clause on charge-sheeted individuals in the National Olympic Committee’s amended constitution.

 The IOC in its 43-page recommendations on the amendments proposed for the IOA had insisted on the inclusion of the clause that bars charge-sheeted individuals from becoming office-bearers. But the IOA unanimously refused to accept the clause in its General Body Meeting on August 25 and instead offered a diluted counterproposal to the IOC according to which the ban would be applied on the officials who had been convicted for two years or more.

But the IOC during its Executive Board meeting in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, ahead of the 125th IOC Session, made it clear it would have none of it and asked the IOA to fully accept the clause before going ahead with the elections.  

“Since the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in December 2012, the IOC has been working towards finding a solution to improve good governance within the National Olympic Committee (NOC),” the IOC said in a statement on its website.

“The IOC provided the IOA with a roadmap and sent observers to the IOA’s General Assembly (GA) that took place on 25 August. The EB heard a report that the GA had approved most of the amendments to the IOA’s constitution requested by the IOC, but one specific clause had not been adopted. “This clause, which deals specifically with the eligibility of members, is key to the good governance of the NOC and needs to be fully accepted before the suspended IOA can proceed with the elections. An official notification of the IOC’s position will be sent to the IOA.”

The IOC’s demand had also got the support of Sports Ministry and top Indian athletes, who have been demanding the cleaning up of system. Sports Minister Jitendra Singh had been vocal about maintaining the highest standards of ethics in the IOA and barring individuals with criminal background or facing corruption charges from standing for the elections.

Singh now is mulling the idea of an alternative arrangement with the approval of the IOC to ensure that Indian athletes are able to compete in international events under the National flag.

The IOA, on its part, will now need to act quickly if it wishes to save itself from the embarrassment of disaffiliation.The proposed election on September 29, in all likelihood will be postponed. Since the GBM was adjourned sine die, the IOA can call another meeting at a short notice instead of the 21 days period.

“But at the moment we are awaiting a formal communication from IOC. After that the NSFs will be calling a meeting at the earliest. The elections now have to be postponed, which IOC will understand. We are naturally disappointed,” S Raghunathan, president of Kayaking and Canoeing Federation of India, who chaired the Special GBM last month told Deccan Herald. The IOC had suspended the IOA on December 4 last because of government interference and violation of the Olympic Charter.