Govt hardens stand, to send official to IOC

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Unfazed by the strong reaction to
its controversial guideline on tenure limitation of sports
bosses, the Indian Government on Wednesday sought to clear the
roadblocks on its implementation by sending a senior official
to deal with the IOC even as worried administrators met the
Prime Minister to seek his intervention on the issue.

A day after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) warned
that government interference may invite an international ban
on the country, the Sports Ministry hit back by deciding to
directly interact with the International Olympic Committee on
the issue, a move which is being interpreted as hardening of
stance.
The government said it would send a detailed response and
offered to send an official to IOC headquarters in Lausanne,
Switzerland, to discuss the matter.
"Government is immediately sending to the highest
authorities in IOC, a detailed response on the matter," said
an official statement issued Wednesday.
"Government is also proposing to IOC that in order to
have a thorough and conclusive discussion on the subject,
Government would be deputing a senior official, to the IOC
headquarters, at a mutually convenient date to sort out the
matter across the table," it added.
The Sports Ministry's move came after the IOA flaunted
letters of support from the IOC and the Olympic Council of
Asia which warned India of dire consequences in case of
governmental interference.
The day unfolded with sports bosses, many of whom are
parliamentarians, meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
seeking his intervention in the matter.
"The PM told us that he will look into the matter and get
back to us. If you fiddle with the autonomy, you get into
trouble. If IOC imposes sanctions it can bring to a standstill
all sports activity in the country," IOA president Suresh
Kalmadi told reporters.
Apart from Kalmadi, the 20-member delegation included IOA
Secretary General Randhir Singh, Archery Association of India
chief V K Malhotra and All India Football Federation president
Praful Patel.
Kalmadi yet again lashed out at Sports Minister M S Gill
for the timing of the move.
"Dr Gill should have come up with this idea after the
Commonwealth Games. The timing (of the sports ministry's move)
was not good," he said.
The Sports Ministry subsequently retaliated as it singled
out Randhir Singh for his "conflict of interests". PTI AY
RBT