BJP leader Himanta Biswana Sarma becomes interim BAI president after the sudden death of Akhilesh Das Gupta.
BJP leader and Assam Badminton Association President Himanta Biswa Sarma was appointed Badminton Association of India's interim head during its executive council meeting in Lucknow on Saturday.
"We are very happy to announce that Himanta Biswa Sarma has been unanimously given the charge to become the acting president till the next elections in 2018. It was a consensual decision. Everyone realises that badminton has to move forward and it will be best served by him," Anup Narang, BAI General Secretary and official spokesperson told PTI.
The post of president was left vacant after the sudden demise of former president Akhilesh Das Gupta and within a few days, Sarma emerged as the front-runner to become the interim head after he got support from the senior members of the association. An executive council meeting was called and Sarma was appointed as the interim president.
"He was invited to attend the meeting as a special guest and then he was inducted as a senior vice-president of BAI to clear him for the post," a BAI official said. According to the Constitution: "President shall be elected by the Council among its members and provided that only the outgoing office bearers or the member of the outgoing Executive Committee shall be eligible to contest the election for the post of President."
Akhilesh Das Gupta's son Viraj Sagar Das, who was unanimously elected as the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association president last week, was today also inducted as a senior vice-president of the governing body. During the meeting, it was also decided that the Indian Open Super Series, which was extended for another four years, will be called the Akilesh Das Gupta World Super Series tournament from now on.
"India Open will now be called Akhilesh Das Gupta World Super Series as a tribute to our former president, who took badminton to greater heights by bringing this tournament to India, besides the Thomas and Uber Cup and Premier badminton League," Narang said.
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 "Himanta Biswa Sarma, Badminton Association of India, bharatiya janata party, Premier Badminton League, Akhilesh Das Gupta, Badmi")
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