New Delhi Sep 20 :- International Olympic Committee has threatened to suspend Indian Olympic Association citing ongoing internal disputes, governance shortcomings and ongoing court cases unless the IOA puts its house in order by putting in place an elected governing body by December.
It was a deja vu for the SC as the Solicitor general Tushar Mehta had on August 18 had informed the SC that “As a nation, we are worried with the development of the Delhi HC appointing a Committee of Administrators. The international bodies consider any management other than the elected body as a third party or outsider and suspend the national sports body”.
On August 18, the SC had stalled take over of the IOA by the CoA comprising ex-SC judge Anil R Dave, former chief election commission S Y Quraishi and former external affairs secretary Vikas Swarup, as directed by the HC on August 16.
The bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hima Kohli, given the recent unpleasant experience of having to modify its orders to get the All India Football Federation afloat in the wake of its suspension by FIFA, asked the Union sports secretary to coordinate with IOC for finding a “neutral person” to become secretary general of IOA till an elected body took over the reins.
Accepting Mehta’s suggestion, the bench said it would nominate a retired SC judge for preparation of the electoral college and conducting of free and fair elections to IOA.
On August 18, Mehta had cautioned against CoA taking the reins of IOA and said, ”There is a 99% chance of IOA getting suspended by the IOC which would prevent Indian athletes from participating in any international sporting event, including Olympics. This is essentially a matter relating to national prestige in the international stage.”
The IOC’s September 8 letter, while warning suspension of IOA, said “any such suspension of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of India would mean, in particular that the athletes of India would no longer be able to represent the country and compete under the country’s flag/name at the Olympic Games and other international sports events.”
IOC also said that “The NOC of India would no longer be entitled to operate as an NOC according to its role as defined by the Olympic chapter. This would also mean that it would no longer receive any funding from the Olympic movement until the suspension is lifted.”
Referring to the internal squabbling in IOA, the IOC said it does not recognise any “interim/acting president” of IOA. “The IOA secretary general (Rajeev Mehta) will serve as the main point of contact to coordinate the next step with the IOC, in close consultation and in agreement with the NOC (IOA) Executive Council and General Assembly.”
For conducting early IOA elections, the IOC said it will organise a joint meeting with all parties on September 27 in Lausanne. “In view of the uncertain situation, the IOC session that is due to take place in Mumbai in May 2023 is postponed till September/October 2023. Depending on the decisions that will be taken during the IOC Executive Board meeting in December 2022 relating to the NOC of India, the IOC Executive Board will decide as to whether the IOC Session in 2023 should be maintained in India or be relocated.”
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