New Delhi: Blatantly defying the IOC’s diktat not to conduct any official activity after its suspension last month, the Indian Olympic Association has called a meeting of its Executive Council on January 19 here, the first assembly of the office bearers after being barred from the Olympic family.
The IOA’s Executive Council will discuss the International Olympic Committee’s communication to suspend it and also the government’s Sports Code which had created problems for the national sports apex body. “The Executive Council Meeting of the Indian Olympic association will be held on 19th January 2013 at 11:30 AM at Olympic Bhavan, New Delhi,” the IOA circular issued by its Secretary General Lalit Bhanot said.
A copy of the circular was also marked for IOC member and former IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh, who had withdrawn his candidature for the post of the president in the controversial elections last month. Other items in the agenda for the meeting include confirmation of the minutes of the last Executive Council meeting held in September last, to determine the progress and fix dates for the National Games to be held in Kerala, to approve the renting of the IOA premises as per rules, preparation of athletes for the future Games and to discuss about the SAF Games to be held in India.
Just a day before the controversy-marred elections of the IOA on December 5, the IOC had suspended the national Olympic body for adhering to the government’s Sports Code and declared the polls null and void, besides also barring it to discharge any official duties such as holding meetings till the issues were resolved.
In an act of defiance, the IOA went ahead with the polls though the international parent body had refused to recognise Abhay Singh Chautala, who was elected unopposed as president, and his team as office bearers. Randhir lashed out at the current IOA dispensation for their continued defiance with IOC directives, saying that their actions will only harm the athletes.
“They are taking their defiance of IOC to another level. They seem to be hell-bent upon ruining Indian Olympic Sports in the country,” said Randhir.
“I don’t think they care at all for the Olympic Movement. They are only keen to hold their position and eventually it’s the athletes who will pay for their folly. Let them (IOA officials) face the music from the IOC,” he said.
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