Ramachandran set to become IOA president

Squash Rackets Federation of India chief N Ramachandran is set to become the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President at the February 9 elections after emerging as the sole candidate for the post on Saturday.

Ramachandran, who is the brother of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan, was IOA treasurer since 2008 and part of the 2012 executive council in the elections, which were declared “null and void” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Rajeev Mehta and Anil Khanna are the unopposed nominations for the post of secretary–general and treasurer with the deadline for nominations ending on Saturday. Mehta, who is the associate vice-president of Hockey India, is also the president of Kho-Kho Federation of India. 

Khanna, who had been the IOA treasurer in the past, is the president of the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

The Abhay Chautala dominated faction largely succeeded in reaching a common ground in picking the candidates. Chautala, in fact, was given the power by the members to nominate candidates for the election. Only for the designation of vice-president can there be an election in the presence of nine candidates for eight spots.  

“We are looking to make it a unanimous affair.  The nominations can be withdrawn at the last moment, too,” said an IOA official.

The dates for the withdrawal of nominations are February 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, Randhir Singh, the IOC member in India and the secretary-general of the IOA since 1987, has not filed his nomination for any post. This means his IOC candidature will soon come to an end with him holding no posts in the National Olympic Committee (NOC), as per the rules.

The Olympic Charter for “Presidents and persons holding an executive post or senior leadership position within NOCs, world or continental associations of NOCs, IFs or associations of IFs or other organisations recognized by the IOC,” says: "Any IOC member as defined in rule 16.1.1.3 or rule 16.1.1.4 ceases to be a member upon ceasing to exercise the function he was exercising at the time of election.”

Randhir’s daughter, Sunaina Kumari, who heads the Bowling Federation, however, will be one of the six joint secretaries.

The elections will expedite India’s return to the Olympic fold after it was suspended by the IOC on December 4, 2012. However, Indian athletes taking part in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, will have to compete under the IOC flag, with the IOA elections scheduled to be held only after the start of the Games. The Winter Games are to begin on February 7.


Nominations: President: N Ramachandran.
Senior Vice-President: Virendra D Nanawati.
Vice-Presidents: Anurag Thakur, Akhilesh Das Gupta, Janardhan Singh Gehlot, GS Mander, R K Anand, Tarlochan Singh, Birendra Prasad Baishya, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Rajlaxmi Singh Deo.
Secretary General: Rajeev Mehta.Treasurer: Anil Khanna.
Joint Secretaries: Anandeshwar Pandey, Raja KS Sidhu, Sunaina Kumari, S M Bali, Rakesh Gupta, Kuldeep Vats.Executive Council Members: Balbir Singh Kushwaha, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Adhip Das, Ajit Banerjee, Vikram Singh Sisodia, Avadhesh Kumar, Dhanraj Choudhary, Namdev Shirgaonkar, Bhubneshwar Kalita, Bhupinder Singh.