IOA president defends elections

Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra has said  the election process is in conformity with the Olympic Charter. Stating that the election is being conducted by a three-member commission comprising eminent jurists, he said no nominations has been rejected under government’s new sports code.

At its December 4-5 meeting, the International Olympic Committee’s  (IOC) executive board is likely to bring in a resolution to suspend India for going ahead with the elections. “The IOA has, many a time, called upon the government to scrap this ill-conceived code,” said Malhotra, adding: “We met the PM  last year and then have been voicing our opposition to the code and other attempts by the government to interfere in the affairs of the IOA and national sports federations.” He further said that he had written to IOC chief Jacques Rogge assuring him that autonomy of the IOA shall be “preserved.”

However, Malhotra conceded that it has been difficult time for the IOA as it has been caught in a Catch 22 situation. On one hand the government has been threatening the NSF’s with de-recognition if they don’t follow the code and on the other hand, the Delhi high court has given instructions to hold the ongoing elections as per the IOA constitution as well as the sports code.