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ShareNew Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is faced with the challenge of putting in place executive committees of two important disciplines at a critical period in time, and will need all the resourcefulness of its secretary-general Randhir Singh to sort out the mess. As if the muddle in Hockey India (HI) was not enough, the resignation of the entire panel of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has added one more headache for a bunch of officials less than a year ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
But the impending re-organisation has also provided an escape route for the vital disciplines -- India have a rich heritage in hockey and are due to host the World Cup next year while weightlifting has been one of the most lucrative disciplines for India in the CWG.
The en masse resignation of the IWF officials provides the best chance of getting away with a fine and thus avoiding the possibility of not being able to participate in next year's Commonwealth Games as hosts. "The IWF has requested the IOA to take appropriate action and fresh elections will be held soon," IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said on Tuesday, just a day before the International Weightlifting Federation was set to decide on India's status after six of its weightlifters tested positive in tests by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), more than enough to get it a ban of up to four years.
According to sources in the IOA, Randhir has been in hectic parleys to work out the future course of action. "Randhir's respect among sports administrators is well known and officials are hoping he will help sort things out," said an IOA official.
The IWF was banned in 2004 and 2006 after the national federation failed to get its way out by paying fines. This time though, the IOA will have to bail Indian weightlifters out after the office-bearers gave up. "With the officials resigning on 'moral grounds' and conceding they don't have the resources to sort out the problems, they are essentially asking the IOA to take charge and pay the fine. Since the association has not been suspended, there is the likelihood of seeing an ad-hoc body in the interim," he added.
As for hockey, the resignation of Mohammad Aslam Khan from the post of secretary-general has helped get a reprieve from the FIH as regards the deadline for the formation of a new body. HI can now conduct elections by February next year after failing to do so by the just-passed November 20 deadline.
