SEPT 12- Thomas Bach’s election as president of the International Olympic Committee is good news for India as the German is keen that the suspended IOA returns to the Olympic fold soon.
The last week has been one of agony for the Indian sports lover as the Indian Olympic Association, despite being told to amends its constitution on the ethics clause, is inert.
P.K. Deb, secretary sports, told Mail Today on Wednesday that Bach and suspended Indian Olympic Association secretary Randhir Singh, also an IOC member, are “very good friends.” As the first Olympic gold medallist to rise to the position of IOC president, Bach carries with him a rich mix of experience.
He was a champion in fencing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, is also a lawyer in Germany and now heads a very important position in the world.
“Randhir and Bach know each other well and we can look forward to the impasse in the IOA ending soon,” said the sports secretary.
In the past, sports minister Jitendra Singh had also written to outgoing IOC president Jacques Rogge that the ethics code be followed so that the IOA mess is sorted out.
Deb is hopeful the present situation is not one which can be termed as a crisis.
In his view, things will fall in place soon but at no cost will the IOC deal with the tainted Lalit Bhanot.
“There is no way the IOC will accept Bhanot as they do not want to deal with him,” he said.
Bhanot and former IOA president Suresh Kalmadi have been charge-sheeted in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal pertaining to the procurement of the TSR equipment.
If one is to go by what Deb is saying, in a fortnight’s time the IOA will convene its special general body meeting and amend the clause pertaining to ethics wherein charge- sheeted and convicted officials cannot be a part of the body.
The IOC has prescribed October 31 as the deadline for the Indian body amending the constitution to be followed up by the elections before December 15.
Deb also said that Bach is going to take personal interest in India’s case and will be part of the committee which will monitor the developments.
As regards the cases being referred to the ethics committee, Deb said the sports ministry will independently look at it.
With a number of people now coming under the scanner on ethics issue, the committee will look at cases individually.
The IOC has said that anyone charge-framed or convicted will be ineligible to contest the IOA elections. Yet, given the tricky scenario in India where even for drunken driving and being arrested for violation of Section 144 a person can be put behind bars, the ethics committee will take a look at the seriousness of the case and then decide if he or she is eligible.
What comes out starkly from what the sports ministry is now saying is that the IOC is actually in consonance with the Indian government on several issues. This is a very different scenario from the past where IOA officials used to shout that the ministry is infringing on the autonomy of the national Olympic committee.
Of late, there has also been talk of an ad hoc body being formed since the recalcitrant officials have not yet fallen in line with the IOC diktat.
Taking umbrage under “law of the land,” the IOA officials have tried to project an image as if tainted people cannot be stopped from running the IOA. The sports secretary’s take on this is: “As such there is unity in the IOA. And in the past there has been only one instance when the IOC actually formed an ad hoc body.” The sports ministry is also happy that till now 41 national sports federations have fallen in line with the contentious sports code.
In fact, the mood within the IOA is polarised to a certain extent as sports federations have made it clear they adhere to the Olympic Charter.
The problem, so to say, comes from non-performing state Olympic associations where invariably politicians head the body when they come to power.
INDIA TODAY
