New Delhi, Oct 8: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) may have a “designated CEO” instead of an elected Secretary General after December elections as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed far-reaching changes in the constitution of the nation. sport’s top body during a joint meeting in Switzerland last month.
Representatives from the IOC, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the IOA and the Sports Ministry met in Lausanne on September 27, following a “final warning” from the international sports body to ban the national Olympic body if the elections do not are advertised earlier. the next meeting of the IOC Executive Board (December 5-7).
After the meeting, which was also attended by Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian fencer to win an individual Olympic gold medal, the IOC issued a summary proposing, among other things, to change the post from an elected Secretary General to a Director General. appointed by the executive committee. .
“The IOC/OCA will also propose additional elements (such as changing the position of Secretary General elected to an appointed position, so that the Secretary General acts as executive director appointed/contracted by the Executive Committee, and including an independent ethics commission, a properly functioning athletes commission according to IOC guidelines and safeguarding practices), the IOC said in the summary.
The suggestions, if implemented, will be far reaching in the context of Indian sport as they may trigger such moves in other National Sports Federations. So far, only a few NSFs such as All India Football Federation have a salaried general secretary appointed by the executive committee.
The IOA elections were scheduled for December last year but could not be held due to a pending case in the Delhi High Court in which a petition was filed seeking an amendment to its constitution before holding elections to bring it into line with the National Sports Code.
The IOC “in principle” agreed with most of the points raised by the Delhi High Court in its August decision, saying they were consistent with the Olympic Charter and basic principles of good governance, except for two important points.
The IOC has reservations regarding the proposed membership of 25 per cent of athletes in the IOA General Assembly with voting rights.
The IOC’s stance to accept the Delhi High Court’s decision and the Supreme Court’s September 22 order to appoint a former judge to work on IOA Constitution amendments and oversee the elections will give hope that the controversial issue can be resolved by announcing the IOA. elections before the December meeting of the IOC Executive Board.
An official who attended the joint meeting in Lausanne said Indian delegates had accepted the IOC proposal. He also said that state Olympic associations may also lose voting rights at the IOA General Assembly.
The IOC said that once the retired judge finalizes the draft constitution in agreement with the IOC/OCA, it will be formally adopted by the IOA General Assembly.
Meanwhile, Judge (retired) L Nageswara Rao, who was tasked by the Supreme Court to amend the IOA constitution, called a meeting with the country’s key sporting bodies on 14 October.
Rao, in a notice issued last week, asked lawyer Rahul Mehra, the original petitioner in the Delhi High Court, officials from the IOA, the sports ministry, the Sports Authority of India, NIS Patiala, the Athletics Federation of India, Badminton Association of India, National Rifle Association of India, Hockey India, All India Tennis Federation, AIFF, All India Chess Federation, Indian Weightlifting Federation and Indian Amateur Boxing Federation to attend a meeting to discuss upcoming developments.
Rao also invited Delhi High Court-appointed “sports consultants” to the meeting: Bindra, legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George and Olympic archer Laishram Bombayla Devi, as well as interested national sports federations and state Olympic associations to a meeting at the Jawaharlal Nehru. Stadium complex in New Delhi.
Rao said that he was convening the meeting on the instructions of the Supreme Court “to prepare a roadmap for amending the IOA Constitution and for holding the IOA elections so that the whole process is completed in the best case scenario by December 15, 2022.” (PTI)
