Indian Olympic Association will finally amend constitution to end deadlock with IOC

After an ultimatum from the International Olympic Committe, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will finally amend its Constitution to ensure that tainted officials cannot contest elections. With this decision, these officials cannot contest elections.

In a General Body Meeting to be held tomorrow, the IOA will amend the Constitution after the ultimatum was served on November 15. This would put an end to the deadlock between the IOC and the IOA which has been ongoing for a year.

An IOA official said that they had no choice but to comply, “We have no other option now. De-recognition will be a disaster for India. Though some members feel that India has been singled out by the IOC on the issue of charge-framed persons, there is no other way out and we have to amend the constitution to bar them.”

India was de-recognized by the IOC which meant that they ceased to be a part of the Olympic Movement and no Indian athlete was allowed to take part in any international event under the Indian banner.

The General Body Meeting will also meet to discuss the date for the IOA elections. With this decision, fresh elections will be held in early 2014, and the ban would be lifted soon after.

The IOA chief V K Malhotra had earlier sent a letter to the IOC chief Thomas Bach to postpone the meeting to January due to the elections in five states. It stated that many IOA members were involved in various aspects like campaigning and would not be available to attend the meeting. But it was rejected by the IOC.