Abhay Chautala agrees to hold Indian Olympic Association re-election

Abhay Singh Chautala welcomed the decision taken by the Indian officials and the International Olympic Committee at a joint meeting in Lausanne and said the suspended Indian Olympic Association is ready to hold a re-election of its council on the basis of a revised IOA constitution and the Olympic Charter.

"I welcome the decision arrived at the joint meeting of the IOA and the IOC. Though we were elected unanimously and as per the rules and regulations of the IOA but in the interest of the sport, we are fully agreeing to have a re-election and all the modalities during this short period will be sorted out by the IOA representatives with the IOC," Chautala said.

At the joint meeting with Indian delegates in Lausanne on Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee agreed in principle on a roadmap to bring India back in the Olympic fold.

The meeting, which assumed great importance for India's sporting future, will now work out the exact details and the time frame to get the ban lifted since it was imposed on December 4 last year after India's failure to adhere to the Olympic Charter.

Chautala has sought the co-operation of the National Sports Federations (NSFs) for the smooth passage of the amendments, which, he said, were required for better transparency and accountability.

"We have full faith in presidents and general secretaries of all the sports federations and that they will show unity and solidarity for the cause of the Indian sport. I am thankful and appreciate the efforts of the Indian delegation which worked very hard and got this decision from the IOC," he said.

The IOC had decided to ban India as the IOA had failed to comply with the Olympic Charter and also allowed a tainted official, Lalit Bhanot, to contest elections for a top post.

A day after the ban was imposed, the IOA went ahead with the elections under the government's Sports Code, defying the IOC's diktat to hold the polls under the Olympic Charter.

The IOC declared the elections "null and void", besides also directing those elected not to discharge any official duties. The world body, which communicated only with IOC acting chief V K Malhotra and Randhir Singh after the ban, also asked the NSFs to distance themselves from the suspended Chautala-led dispensation.