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Sports ministry, AFI spar over marathon diktat

A bizarre situation has developed between the sports ministry and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The ministry has complained to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that the AFI is trying to kill the growth of the game (athletics) at grassroots level.

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A bizarre situation has developed between the sports ministry and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). The ministry has complained to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) that the AFI is trying to kill the growth of the game (athletics) at grassroots level.

The problem started when AFI passed a resolution in its general body meeting (GBM) in Varanasi recently that no "marathon or road race in India will be conducted in the country without its permission". It was also decided that "if any of the state federation or official is found to be violating its order, a strict action will be taken against them".

A diktat was issued to all the 'national and state level' athletes that no one should take part in any event that has not been sanctioned by the AFI in order to avoid any sanctions or ban.
The AFI is an autonomous sports body and doesn't need ministry's permission to bring in any such proposal.

It was when AFI apprised ministry of its decision that senior officials brought it to the notice of the sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

dna has reliably learnt that Sonowal gave his consent to a senior ministry official to forwarding this complaint to the CCI, saying that "it is anti-competitive" and will adversely affect the "growth of the sport at grassroots level".

Ministry has further written to the CCI that the AFI is not the only body trying to monopolise the sport, but there are others such as National Sports Federations' (NSF) that have been passing such rulings.

The ministry said action should be taken against the AFI as it goes against the Clause IV of the Competition Act, which says that that no sports body in the country can pass such diktats to curb the competition.

The relationship between AFI and the ministry turned sour after the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal came into light.

It is a well-known that the ministry had a role to play in ouster of former chief of Inain Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Suresh Kalmadi, because he had brought embarrassment to the Congress government. The IOA's secretary general Lalit Bhanot, too, was the victim of that fall out.

AFI has time and again blamed the sports ministry for not sanctioning athletes' exposure trips. However, a senior AFI official said on condition of anonymity that the "marathon business has been flourishing in India in last one decade and it needs to be regulated in order to check any malpractices".

"In one such non-recognised marathon event, The winner was not given any. And when this athlete complained to the ministry, AFI was asked to file an explanation. The GBM resolution was passed to curb such unethical practices only," said the official on Friday.
 

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