By IANS,
New Delhi: The sports ministry wants the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the National Sports Federations (NSF) on the same page before they go to Lausanne to meet the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next month.
Pradip Kumar Deb, sports secretary, told IANS that the IOA and NSF have to incorporate the sports code in their constitutions before they meet the IOC, May 7.
India have been banned by the IOC over the controversial IOA elections held December 5. IOC wants to discuss the roadmap with both the IOA and the sports ministry before lifting the suspension.
“We have to be on the same page before we meet the IOC. We don’t want to interfere in the matters of the IOA but fresh elections must be held and the constitution has to be ammended to incorporate the sports code,” Deb said.
Deb said “IOC has been very clear about what it wants from the IOA.”
“The IOC wants transparency and good governance in the IOA. We also agree with IOC. So the IOA and the NSF must agree to the sports code so that we are on the same page before meeting the IOC next month,” said Deb.
Pere Miro, National Olympic Committee’s (NOC) relations director of IOC, in a letter invited the sports minister and suspended IOA’s acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra for a meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne May 7.
“It is very surprising that you request our guidance as to what action you should take since we have made it clear since January this year that the only way to find a solution is for all parties to meet, discuss and agree on a roadmap,” Miro said in the letter Saturday.
“For that purpose we invited you to a meeting in Lausanne and proposed concrete dates. However, you did not reply to our invitation…Now we hereby call for a meeting to be held on May 7, 2013 in Lausanne,” he added.
The IOC asked the IOA to send a list of delegates, who will be attending the meeting.
“You or the competent bodies of the suspended IOA are requested to confirm your attendance as well as the names and functions of the persons who will form the delegation of the suspended IOA by April 16 at the latest.
“We will also extend an official invitation to Sports Minister Mr. Jitendra Singh. The purpose of this meeting will be the same as mentioned in our letter of March 1 2013. We thank you for your attention and cooperation in this very serious matter,” Miro added.
The IOC only recognises the IOA, which is headed by Malhotra and secretary-general Randhir Singh. Malhotra lost the last elections to Abhay Singh Chautala in December.