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In a jolt to the Indian Sports Ministry’s imposing of a legislation putting a limit on the age and tenure of Sports Federation heads, the International Olympic Committee today warned the government of stern action if it goes ahead with the legislation.
After a two-day meeting in Lusanne, the IOC executive board said, India will have to take care of a number of issues.
“Consequently if the situation does not evolve positively, the IOC executive board will consider taking appropriate measures and actions which might seriously affect the representation and participation of India at the Olympic Games and international sports events coming up,” the IOC said in a statement.
The international Olympic body insisted that the Indian government had agreed at a meeting in Lausanne last year to adopt a jointly drafted constitution while it will respect the autonomy of the Indian Olympic Association and the national federations affiliated under it.
The Sports Ministry last year decided to limit the tenure and upper age limit of the National Federation’s bosses after it was found that most of the Sports Federation of the country was run by inefficient and corrupted people for decades according to their whims and fancies without any improvement brought about.
If the government does not comply with the IOC norms, the IOC has the power to suspend the country from its membership which prevents the country from participating in Olympics and other international event falling under the ambit of IOC.
On a personal note, the move that curb the unlimited tenure and life long position was a good move by the Indian Govt. owing to the corrupted people running the federations. However with such threat coming about, if the govt. doesn’t adhere, it will dent the hopes of many Indian athletes who are on the verge of taking India to the global stage in sports.
Who knows people within the Indian Olympic Association, having close relation with the IOC President Jacques Rogge have influenced them to issue such warning. India’s faith will be decided when the IOC meet again in July 2011 at Durban.
