IOC bans IOA: Is the Indian Olympic Association going hockey way?
India is perhaps the lone country that has not boycotted any Olympics at political or participation levels. India had two Members of International Olympic Committee when the IOC consisted of less then 35 or 40 members — when trusteeship was the guiding factor contrary to democratization of members in the Samaranch Era. Those were the time neither did the government nor the IOC pay for the travel expenses of its members unlike, again in Samaranch era.
When the West boycotted the Moscow Olympics, India said firm no to the States. When Moscow retaliated with a boycott for the Los Angeles number four years later, India said still firmer no to Russia. It angered both the superpowers, but stuck to the spirit of Olympic Movement – no politics before sports.
But now, ironically politics – internal, not a global one — brings this country to an avoidable phase of shame to the country.
Despite such a glorious past of India in the Olympic Movement, the situation has to some a pass now the very Indian Olympic Association, that held the Olympic spirit all along, had been supposedly suspended, the news leaking a day before the four-year election of the body was set to take place today.
The problem now is not principles though it forms the official statement of every concerned party, the IOC, the IOA and the Government, but individual interests overwhelmingly forming the centre stage.
Very unfortunate in the whole drama is, public at large getting a wrong message.
The popular view is that Government of India interferes in the internal matters of Indian Olympic Association, therefore the IOC suspends its arm in India.
Government of India, only provider of Olympic sports in India, was forced to bring out a Sports Code two years ago on popular and genuine demand. The Code actually codified election process, put age and tenure limitations for the officials. By letter and spirit, the Sports Code is nothing but carbon copy of Olympic Charter. No doubt on that.
However, despite 90 percent of National Sports Federations including always adamant hockey one, agreed to the Sports Code, Indian Olympic Association did not conform. Simply because it would affect a couple of NSF which is run by over-age and over-tenure officials.
Government of Indi a sent a delegation to IOC two years ago with a result the IOA will amend its constitution incorporating principles of good governance. However, in order to safeguard interests of a couple of vested interests, the IOA amended its constitution with cosmetic changes without age and tenure class.
Ministry has requested the IOA repeatedly to change without much response.
There is also another development.
IOC’s Ethics Commission has sent a letter to the IOC not to consider three persons including the past president Suresh Kalmadi, for the future IOA elections, because they were charged with corruption charges and are on bail after spending different spells in jail.
However, as a mighty challenge to IOC, one of the person it referred to, Lalit Bhanot, got elected Secretary General of IOA as his rival in the election Murugan has withdrawn due to lack of support.
Honestly speaking, Lalit Bhanot should not have contested at all respecting not only the popular sentiments but also the direction of the IOC’s Ethics Commission.
So, now one can easily surmise neither Govt nor IOC on wrong side.
In many ways the IOA situation looks like what transpired in Hockey in the aftermath of aajtak’s sting operation on then IHF Secretary.
Even as the sting was taking television’s centre-stage, FIH President Els van Breda Vrisman asserted to me in Kazan (Russia), where the women’s Olympic Qualifier was going on, that she cannot interact with a ‘tainted’ secretary and a president who ‘protects’ him.
My report filed for Press Trust of India was a super hit because this quote.
Now, the IOC obviously does not deal with a Secretary who is on bail, and is elected to IOA that too unopposed.
The hockey matter took turns and twists but not got resolved, affecting the Indian hockey till now, though five years have passed since the sting.
This fear looms large now with respect to IOA also. It may break up into two, one faction fighting to the core like the IHF does nowadays. Because be it hockey or IOA, the officials don’t keep sports in mind when the question of chair comes, not even the country’s interests.
One can therefore expect protracted battle for the control of IOA as IOC is perceived as playing to the hands of IOC member in India, Randhir Singh.
Many in India believe, its the sulking Randhir Singh who is pulling the strings in the IOC that resulted in the suspension.
Their view has some credence.
For, Randhir Singh, a serving IOA Secretary General for about two decades, filed nomination for IOA President, but had to withdraw on the first day of withdrawing nominations as he obviously could not muster enough votes.
Randhir is also Secretary-General of Olympic Council of Asia, and not getting the post he wanted in his own country therefore is a big set back for him.
So, the other side claims openly, its the frustration of Randhir that led to quicker than expected series of action from the IOC corridors.
Whatever, a hockey like situation is likely to develop in IOA matters.