IOC warns Indian Olympic Association of suspension if elections not held

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has told the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that failure to hold elections and not addressing governance issues could result in its suspension.

This is the second time in two months that the international sports body has warned the IOA of consequences if it did not address governance-related issues. In July, the IOC stated that it will be "forced" to suspend the IOA if its "quadrennial elections" are not held within the next few weeks.

Earlier, the IOC had postponed its annual session, which was scheduled to take place in Mumbai in May 2023, on Thursday due to what it felt were "unresolved internal disagreements, governance inadequacies, and ongoing judicial challenges" encompassing the Indian Olympic Association.

The elections for the IOA were originally set for December last year. They were, however, put on hold due to following accusations that norms including the articles of the National Sports Code were not followed.

However, several concerns have arisen since the IOC's letter, including a power tussle within the IOA. While veteran administrator Anil Khanna responded to the previous IOC missive as the IOA's acting president, athlete-turned-administrator Adille Sumariwalla declared last month that he is the national body's new interim boss.

The IOC announced a joint meeting with "all parties" later this month in Lausanne in Switzerland. The IOC Session, which was scheduled to take place in Mumbai in mid-2023, however, has been postponed.

The hosting of the IOC Session in Mumbai was considered a significant step forward for India in sports diplomacy as some of the top officials were set to attend. The hosts of the 2030 Winter Olympics, as well as the sports programmes for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Games, were expected to be finalised during the session, with cricket being one of the sports vying for inclusion in the latter.

However, the latest IOC missive has put the onus on the Indian sports body to set its house in order. Significantly, the IOC warning comes just days after the suspension of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was revoked. (ANI)

Source: Sports