Clean Sports India opposes Kalmadi heading IOA

Guwahati: Clean Sports India (CSI), a movement for corruption-free sports in India, today demanded that Commonwealth Games scam accused Suresh Kalmadi should not be allowed to return as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president following his release from jail on bail.

"If he is allowed to continue as IOA president, he will ensure that the entire sports system gets corrupted to the level of corruption of Commonwealth Games," former home secretary of Assam and CSI national convener B V P Rao told reporters. "We demand that Kalmadi be suspended from his position as the president of IOA on the grounds of chargesheet and his arrest on corruption charges in the conduct of CWG," he said. CSI has also taken up the issue with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Rao said. IOC has informed CSI that it was concerned about the corruption charges on the senior management of IOA in the conduct of Commonwealth Games, he said. "But IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra has not taken any action. The general body of IOA, which met twice since Kalmadi was arrested, refused to take action," he said. Ashwini Nachappa, veteran sportsperson and acting President of CSI said, "It will be a national shame if Kalmadi continues as the head of IOA." She demanded that Malhotra "come out clearly with his stand on the issue if he was not involved in the corruption of Commonwealth Games." After spending nine months in jail, Kalmadi was yesterday granted bail by Delhi High Court in a 2010 Games-related graft case. PTI