Sports ministry forms committee to coordinate international events

With India's return to the Olympic fold uncertain, the sports ministry has formed a steering committee to monitor and coordinate the country's participation in major international events. This committee will work till the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The formation of this committee could be a significant development as the sports ministry wants an "alternate" mechanism to win the faith of the International Olympic Committee and ensure India is recognised by the Olympic Charter once again.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the Haryana Assembly has passed a resolution that will allow the state government to condemn the IOA for not abiding by the IOC directive to do away with charge-sheeted office bearers. The resolution enables the state government to move a proposal in public interest.

The Haryana resolution is expected to name IOA president Abhey Singh Chautala, who has refused to abide by the changes the IOC wants in the IOA constitution. Haryana feels that sportspersons belonging to the state will suffer due to the Olympic ban. Haryana is the hub of Olympic sports like boxing and wrestling. ( Also read: Olympic medalist Yogeshwar urges IOA to clean up mess)

In a media release on Wednesday, the sports ministry said the Indian government has decided to form a committee under the chairmanship of secretary, sports department, to plan India's participation in upcoming international events. The other members of the committee will be director-general of the Sports Authority of India, joint-secretary (sports), joint secretary (development), a government-appointed observer from the concerned discipline, a member of the national sports federation, a representative of the Indian Olympic Association, the chief coach of the concerned discipline, executive director (teams, SAI) and a co-opted member, if required. (Suggested read: When 'cornered' Chautala targeted Abhinav Bindra)

Among others, the major functions of the steering committee will be deciding core probable, reviewing performance of the probables every three months and solving bottlenecks and fast tracking decisions on funds.

The IOC has suspended IOA for failing to amend its constitution in a bid to keep tainted administrators out of sports governance. The IOA has been banned since December 2012 and Indian athletes cannot participate in any IOC-approved event under the Indian tricolour.

The IOC has now cracked the whip on a defiant IOA that refuses to accept the "charge-sheet" clause, which if implemented, will see the ouster of tainted officials like Lalit Bhanot and V.K. Verma, among others.

The international body, after its executive board meeting in Buenos Aires last week, has remained firm on its demand to keep out officials against whom charges have been framed in a court of law and has given the suspended IOA till October 31 to amend its constitution and conduct fresh elections by December 15 to pave the way for its return to the Olympic fold.

With IOA refusing to budge, sports minister Jitendra Singh had spoken about an alternate process to enable Indian athletes represent the country. This steering committee seems to be a step in that direction. Interestingly, the IOC and the sports ministry are on the same page in their bid to stop tainted officials from running Olympic sports in India.