New Delhi: India's sports bosses are at war. After the sports ministry capped their tenue, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi has hit back at Sports Minister MS Gill saying he should be the first to go as he is over 70.
"It's a draconian order. We are surprised at the timing of the sports ministry. We will take appropriate steps. We will not take this lying low," he said.
"We are just 150 days away from the Commonwealth Games. The sports ministry has surprised us with this kind of an order," he added.
Responding to Kalmadi's remarks, Gill said: "I am not against anybody, it's a democracy and everyone is free to say what they want. The matter is in court, IOA is a party, let's see what happens."
But Kalmadi is not the only one reeling under the sports ministry blow. Gill's decision will directly hurt quite a few individuals who have been at the helm of affairs for various national sports federations for years, some for decades.
IOA Chief Suresh Kalmadi has been in office for more than a decade, while V K Malhotra has been Archery Federation head for over three3 decades.
Ohers ruling National Sports Federations for nearly a decade include independent MP and former Union minister Digvijay Singh, who is head of the Shooting Association, INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala who heads Table Tennis, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is the head of the All India Tennis Association and Congress leader K P Singh Deo is the boss of the Rowing Association.
As per the latest directive, all of them will have to relinquish office.
Meanwhile addressing a press conference in Delhi this evening, IOA secretary general Randhir Singh said the sports ministry's atempts to erode the autonomy could lead to sanctions against the country.
Armed with letters of support from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the IOA went on the offensive and said sports bodies could not be subjected to interference and external pressure as per the Olympic Charter.
"Any restriction in the tenure of the office bearers and fixing age limit may amount to interference to the internal functioning of the National Olympic Committees. This may lead to violation of Olympic Charter and IOC Executive Board may hand sanctions, suspension or withdrawal of recognition of
such NOCs," Randhir Singh said.
"The issue of limiting tenure and fixing age limit of of office bearers of the NOCs shall not be decided or imposed by law of any government or external pressure but should be decided by the NOCs themselves. These should be the
prerogative of the NOCs and decided by their executive committees or general assemblies," he said, quoting a letter from the IOC.
The letter said that there was a need to have a good relationship between the NOCs and respective governments but that would not mean that the latter can interfere in the internal working of the sports bodies.
Randhir also said that OCA chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad was of the view that Sports Ministry order violates Olympic Charter and OCA Constitution.
"I am extremely concerned by the media reports of the Indian Sports Minister's May 1, 2010 order which clearly violates the Olympic Charter and the Constitution of the OCA. All NOCs must preserve autonomy. There should be no interference on the autonomy of the NOCs," Randhir said, quoting a letter from the OCA chief.
"Governments cannot impose the number of terms of NOC office bearers and their age limits. These are the prerogatives of the NOCs concerned," said Randhir, who is also the Secretary General of OCA.
It's clear that sports bosses in India are not ready to let go without a fight. Maybe the last word on this could come from the Delhi High Court that is hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking to fix terms for heads of sports bodies on Wednesday.
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