The factional battle within the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has escalated with IOA president N. Ramachandran trying to convince the State Olympic Associations (SOAs) that he is not working against their interest and the rebel group, led by IOA associate vice-president and Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Batra, dismissing those claims.
In the last one month, Ramachandran — against whom several SOAs and National Sports Federations (NSFs) have initiated the formalities for a no-confidence motion — has written twice to various members of the IOA clarifying that he and IOA secretary Rajeev Mehta “fully agree and abide by the present constitution of the IOA (as approved by the International Olympic Committee) where certain rights (are) given to the SOAs / NSFs / indigenous sports federations.”
Ramachandran, in a letter dated April 20, assured all members that “we will not be party to any act / move that curtails the rights given to the SOAs and will ensure that the IOA fights against any order / decision which deprives the rights of the SOAs or any NSF.”
He said the IOA had moved the Supreme Court to defend the rights of all its members.
Exactly after a month, Ramachandran reiterated his stand in another letter, which said, “a deliberate smear campaign is being circulated stating that the voting rights of the SOAs will be reduced / taken away. This is totally misleading and incorrect.”
However, Batra, who claimed the support of close to 46 per cent SOAs and 36 per cent NSFs, rejected Ramachandran’s assurance and alleged that the IOA chief was behind the formation of a committee (by the Ministry) which would decide to include provisions such as withdrawal of voting rights of SOAs, reduction of the IOA Executive Body to 21, setting an age limit of 70 years for all EB members of the IOA and NSFs and formation of new election guidelines in the Sports Code.
Batra said these provisions, if implemented, would “ruin IOA.”
