Stung by Malhotra’s sudden decision, senior IOA members are out to persuade their acting chief to relent, but he is refusing to budge.

What irked Malhotra, who is recognised as the IOA president, is that the IOC accepted Narinder Batra and RK Anand, whose names were proposed by the Abhay Singh Chautala-led unrecognised IOA, which has been suspended by the IOC in December.