IOA vs IOC: Temporary truce or end of the road for Chautala, Bhanot?
The amended constitution will now be sent to the IOC and the world body is expected to revoke the ban on India at their meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday. What cannot be denied though is that the forced change of stance is definitely a bitter pill for Chautala and company to swallow. And the one they still blame for it is India's representative in the IOC, Randhir Singh.
The ban on India imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is all set to be lifted after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) amended its constitution on Sunday, as per the IOC's directives. This means the end of the road for Abhay Chautala and Lalit Bhanot, essentially the two officials that the IOC had a problem with, in the past one year. The IOA has also decided on a date for its fresh elections.
"It doesn't matter whether I contest the elections or not. The country and its athletes are the only thing that matter to me", said Abhay Singh Chautala, after having stepped down from the IOA on Sunday, to clear the road for India's return to the Olympic fold. The erstwhile President finally decided to put the interest of the athletes ahead of the ego of the association members. The reality though is that the IOA ran out of options and time. The International Olympic Committee made it clear that the IOA had to change its constitution and bar chargesheeted individuals from contesting their elections, no matter what. So the constitution has been amended, and the 9th of February is the date that has been set for fresh elections. Abhay Chautala and Lalit Bhanot, both of whom have chargesheets against them will not contest the elections.
The members though insist they've agreed to the IOC's demands, just so that they can get back Olympic recognition. "Our 5-member delegation will visit Lausanne and discuss the matter with the new IOC President. Are these clauses applicable to all member nations or only India? If all countries follow these same norms, then we have no problems. We have agreed to their diktat, only because we don't want our athletes to suffer. They must participate under the Indian flag, not any other flag", Chautala told reporters in Delhi. There is still a fair bit of confusion over when this delegation will meet IOC officials, before or after the 9th February elections.
The amended constitution will now be sent to the IOC and the world body is expected to revoke the ban on India at their meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday. What cannot be denied though is that the forced change of stance is definitely a bitter pill for Chautala and company to swallow. And the one they still blame for it is India's representative in the IOC, Randhir Singh. "As an IOC representative, Randhir Singh has done nothing apart from running away from his responsibilities. In this matter, he has been nothing more than a traitor", said Chautala.
Since the ban in December last year, Indian athletes were allowed to participate in various events, but not under the Indian flag. If the IOA had not agreed to the compromise, it would have led to complete Olympic disaffiliation and major embarrassment. For now it looks like disaster and embarrasment has been avoided, and India's wont have to suffer needlessly any longer.