India back in Olympic fold... IOC readmits IOA after elections... !!

IPL and controversies ….. version 7 of IPL is to steamroll with the all important IPL auctions……… which will go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday at Bangalore, the Supreme Court said today ~ even as there are more revelations in the betting and spot-fixing case. “Any decision taken in the IPL auction of players should be without prejudice to the order that may be passed by this court,” a bench comprising justices A.K Patnaik and F.M.I Kalifulla is quoted as saying, while making it clear that it will look into the response of all stake holders on March 7 on the report of the Committee that inquired into the betting and spot fixing allegations in the last addition of IPL.

In what could be a major embarrassment for BCCI president N Srinivasan, a Supreme Court-appointed panel headed by by Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal held his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan guilty of betting and passing on team information during the IPL matches last year.  Only a few days ago, Mr N Srinivasan’s  troubles as BCCI chief seemed forgotten, as he managed to co-craft a rejig that would not only bring more monies and power to the Indian board but also make him the ICC Chairman ~ now he seemingly is dogged in more trouble…. 

Away from IPL, the newly elected Indian Olympic Association chief is quoted as saying - "We want to work for the benefit of athletes. They should be the beneficiaries"  and that man is – ‘N Ramachandran’ incidentally, brother of Mr N Srinivasan.  The whole Nation felt remorse when the three men marched as Independent athletes at Sochi Winter Olympics……the association to which he has been elected was responsible for all that damage.   Hamara Bharat had the  ignominy of three of its athletes march without the national flag, as IOA had been suspended by the IOC in December, 2012 due to its failure to comply with the Olympic charter and that has resulted in Indian athletes, including boxers, participating in events under the flag of world body. Read my post on that at : http://www.sampspeak.in/2014/02/sochi-witner-olympics-india-as.html

Now there is good news – more than a year after being shunted out of the Olympic movement due to tainted officials, India has now been welcomed back by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) within days of conducting a fresh election in the IOA. Firstpost reports that the IOC lifted the 14-month old ban on India after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) barred charge-framed officials from its fresh election held on Sunday in which World Squash Federation chief and younger brother of BCCI boss N Srinivasan, N Ramachandran, was elected as the president. "The IOC has informed us through telephone that the ban on India has been lifted," newly-elected IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told PTI. The decision comes after the IOC's three observers for the elections left Indian shores "satisfied with the IOA elections promising to submit a "favourable report to the IOC President". Jerome Poivey, IOC's head of institutional relations, event went on to state that the amended IOA constitution was one of the best in the world and it should be implemented fully.

All India Tennis Association (AITA) chief Anil Khanna was elected Treasurer in the polls which marked the exit of corruption-tainted Abhay Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot from the IOA. It all started 14 months ago when on December 4, 2012, the IOC suspended the IOA for adhering to the government's Sports Code and for allowing tainted persons to take part in the election process. In an act of defiance, IOA went ahead with the polls next day. The world body refused to recognise Chautala and his team of office bearers. The IOC later proposed a meeting with the IOA and government representatives but maintained that the Indian body must hold its elections solely under Olympic Charter to return to the Olympic fold.

Happy ….. but could not this have been resolved earlier ?

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

11^th Feb 2014.

Inputs taken from : Economic Times & Firstpost.