International Olympic Committee rejects Indian body's resistance to bar chargesheeted persons from contesting polls
International Olympic Committee (IOC) is in no mood to budge from its stance on barring chargesheeted personsu00a0from contesting Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections.
IOC, in a 43-page draft constitution, had told the Indian body it must bar all tainted officials from itsu00a0association if it wants to return to the Games after being banned last year. IOA objected to this provision saying that Indian law would prevail on theseu00a0matters.
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According to a PTI report on Saturday, IOC has stuck to its original stand. “The IOC has never questioned the principle that till one is convicted one is innocent.
“However, the IOC Code of Ethics clearly states that the Olympic parties (which include the NOCs) must undertake to respect and ensure the respect of the IOC Code of Ethics which says in particular that they must not act in a manner likely to tarnish the reputation of the Olympic Movement. “The IOA (still suspended) must therefore act responsibly and must adopt a clear wording in its revised Constitution,” IOC stated in its letter.
“The wording of the proposed provision which reads ‘The Law of the land will prevail in all the affairs concerning Indian Olympic Association’ cannot be accepted since this would leave aside and undermine the Olympic Charter and the IOA Constitution,” IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper said in a letter.
India’s IOC membership was suspended in December after Lalit Bhanot, who is facing corruption charges linked to the scandal-hit New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, was elected IOA secretary-general.
Former IOA boss Suresh Kalmadi, who has also been charged in the Delhi CWG scandal, did not contest the elections in December when his protege, Abhay Chautala, was elected president.
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