Tuesday, May 4, 2010

IOA and National Sports Associations up in arms against Sports Ministry

This will definitely be one situation in Indian sports, which Malaysian sports will be able to relate easily.
After Sunday's announcement by the Indian Sports Minister, M. S. Gill, had announced to make effective a rule to restrict the tenure of office bearers in National Sports Associations, as expected, it was heatedly challenged.
Many felt that the timing of the announcement in the wake of New Delhi hosting the Commonwealth Games, was certainly not right.
Yesterday, Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the Delhi Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and also president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and many national association presidents had expressed their surprise, timing and protest at the decision by the Sports Ministry.(read here)
Today, IOA secretary-general, Randhir Singh in a press conference, armed with letter of support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), took the Sports Ministry to task citing that the decision was a violation of the Olympic Charter.
The Sports Minister also had his say too. (read here)
With the Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Committee headed by Austin Sealey in the city for four days since Sunday with his seven member team including CGF CEO Mike Cooper, for their seventh and hopefully the final meeting with the Delhi Organising Committee, the general feeling is that this internal matter should not sidelined the importance and priority of meeting.
Whatever it is, the 'sports officials tenure' issue certainly has not seen the last of it.
It is just hoped that the issue will not derail or undermine the Delhi Commonwealth Games which is just 151 days away!

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