India likely to return to Olympic fold soon: 10 latest developments

The International Olympic Committee is set to lift the ban on the Indian Olympic Association after the latter agreed to amend its constitution and leave out tainted administrators.

Here are the 10 latest developments:

1) IOC President Thomas Bach said the Indian Olympic Association remains suspended for the time being but Indian athletes are free to compete in Sochi Winter Olympics as individual competitors under the international body's flag.

2) Mr Bach said the IOC would lift the suspension once new elections are held and if the elections, scheduled for February 9, are moved up to take place before the Sochi Games, the IOC would act quickly to allow India's three qualified athletes to compete under their national flag.

3) In a Special General Body meeting on Sunday in New Delhi, the IOA decided to follow the IOC's guidelines on good governance and bar charged-framed officials. As a result Lalit Bhanot and Abhey Singh Chautala will not feature in the fresh IOA elections, which will be held on February 9.

4) Had India not complied, it faced becoming the first country to be expelled from the Olympics since South Africa was kicked out more than 40 years ago.

5) However, Bhanot and Chautala can still return to IOA governance if they are given a clean chit by IOA appointed Ethics Committee. This has resulted in a new debate.

6) IOA had previously sought to dilute IOC's directive to bar charge-framed persons from contesting elections and instead decided to refer such cases to the Ethics Commission of the IOA to take a decision.

7) Sports minister Jitendra Singh had written to the IOC president asking the world body to stick to its stand of barring corruption-tainted persons from contesting elections. 'Government of India supports the original line adopted by IOC that tainted officials not be permitted to contest elections,' Jitendra Singh wrote to former IOC president Jacques Rogge.

8) The Indian body was suspended last December after electing secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

9) "They are not entitled to have elections and if for some reason they go ahead, this will not be recognized," IOC's Pere Miro, in charge of relations with national Olympic committees, said in December last year.

10) When IOC lifts the ban on IOA, Indian athletes will be able to participate in IOC-approved events under the Indian flag.

(with agency inputs)