IOA Criticises Union Sports Ministry

November 23, 2012

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has criticised the Government of India’s Union Sports Ministry for interfering its affairs and election process.

The ministry had written a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suggesting a meeting in India with representatives of the IOC ministry and the IOA to resolve issues related to the Sports Code and elections.

The Union also said the elections to the IOA, generic rescheduled for December 5, herbal could be postponed until matters were sorted out.

IOA Acting President, sale Vijay Kumar Malhotra called the Sports Secretary, P.K. Deb’s letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge, a “government’s assault on the autonomy of the sports federations.”

The IOA Acting President said the letter by the Sports Secretary to the International body was a bizarre testimony of half truths and distorted facts.

Malhotra was angered that Deb wrote directly to the IOC without consulting the IOA.

“The double speak of the Government of India (GOI) is clear as on one hand it says that it has no ‘intentions whatsoever to interfere in the functioning of the IOA and on the other it is insisting that National Sports Federations (NSF) should accept its so called Sports Code,” he said.

“The Sports Code of the GOI violates everything for which the IOA constitution and the IOC charter stand for.{jcomments on}