Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Firm on fixing tenure and age limits for sports bodies and their chiefs despite threats of sanctions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Sports Ministry Tuesday shot off another letter to IOC seeking an early meeting to sort out the issue.
The ministry also charged Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general Randhir Singh, also an IOC member, with not consulting them before raising the issue with the world body.

The IOC had intervened in the ongoing battle between the IOA and the ministry over restoration of the 1975 government guidelines that limited the tenure of office-bearers of sports bodies.

IOC in a letter dated May 21 held out a veiled threat to the union sports ministry that the country’s apex sports body would face “sanctions” if the government did not stop meddling in the affairs of the sports bodies by fixing the tenure and age limit of their office-bearers.

In his reply to IOC president Jacques Rogge, Injeti Srinivas, secretary in the sports ministry, said they are yet to receive an official copy of the letter jointly written by IOC and Olympic Council of Asia, and said: “It was released to the Indian media by the IOC member from India.”

“It is unfortunate that the IOC member (Randhir Singh) from India has not even cared to consult us before taking up this matter with you. In our view, therefore, this is an attempt to create a false situation of crisis, by a few interested persons, whose only aim is to protect their unduly long tenures in the IOA and the (National Sports Federations) NSFs. Moreover, the matter is sub-judice. It is, therefore, imperative that the matter is not escalated any further at this stage.

“He (Randhir) is fully aware of the proceedings before the Delhi High Court, as IOA is a respondent, in the ongoing public interest litigation. Further, as the Secretary General of OCA, he is conversant with the sports legislations of Malaysia and Sri Lanka. However, it appears that IOC has not been apprised by him of the national perspective in its entirety, thereby exposing his conflict of interest as well, since he has been holding the post of secretary general, IOA, for over two decades.”

Srinivas said the government has not imposed any new regulation.

“It only restores with prospective effect, the tenure regulation of 1975, which was put on hold in October 2001. The Delhi High Court is continuing its hearings on this issue, and on other matters concerning good governance in sports.

“We would like to mention that the tenure regulation was accepted by the IOA and all recognised NSFs when they were introduced in 1975. In fact, the NSFs had sought time up to 1st December 1975, and IOA up to 31st January 1976, to incorporate them in their respective constitutions. Consequently, many federations incorporated them in their constitutions, only to have them later deleted unilaterally.”

The ministry said they have studied regulations prevalent in more than 30 countries before taking the decision and gave a detailed account of the “countries which enacted sports legislations, which contain several mandatory provisions that their sports federations have to conform, to obtain recognition and financial support from the government.”

The ministry also pointed out that the Olympic Charter requires the National Olympic Committee and the NSFs to secure and maintain their autonomy through good governance; financial independence; and coordination, cooperation and consultation with the government. None of these requirements have been fulfilled in the present case.

“We are confident that IOC will acquaint itself with the full facts before forming any view in the present case. We expect that our meeting with you can be scheduled early to enable a comprehensive appreciation of the entire matter.”