IOA defers its Executive Council meeting

New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association has decided to defer its Executive Council meeting scheduled here for Saturday in the wake of the IOC`s warning to the National Sports Federations not to associate with the current dispensation, which the world body has refused to recognise.

The IOC, in its January 14 letter addressed to V K Malhotra, who was the acting IOA chief before the controversy-marred December 5 elections, had warned the NSFs not to associate with the current office bearers, led by Abhay Singh Chautala whom the world body described as "illegitimate individuals". The IOC had said it would ask international federations to take action against such NSFs. One of the joint secretaries elected in the December 5 polls, Rakesh Gupta said that the meeting has been deferred in the wake of the IOC letter. "The Executive Council meeting has been deferred in view of the IOC letter and no date has been fixed," Gupta said. The IOC, in its letter, had also proposed a meeting with the IOA, led by Malhotra, and a government representative while also maintaining that the lifting of the ban on India would be considered only after the elections are held solely under the Olympic Charter. The deferment of the Executive Council meeting could be seen as a climbdown for Chautala-led officials as they were adamant to go ahead with it despite IOC`s stern warning not to discharge any official function. The IOC does not recognise the December 5 polls which had elected the current office bearers. Just a day after the IOC letter, a defiant Chautala had issued a circular to the heads of NSFs and state Olympic bodies, saying the Executive Council meeting would be held as scheduled. "I am forwarding herewith a letter dated January 14 received from Mr Pere Miro, NOC Relations Director, IOC and Mr Hussain Al-Musallam, Director General and Technical Director, OCA, which has been addressed to Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra and which has been forwarded by him to me for necessary action," Chautala said in the circular. "In the Executive Council Meeting to be held on 19th January 2013 our endeavour will be to get back into the IOC and we would like to discuss this letter, so that appropriate action can be taken by us in this regard," he said. The IOC had barred the conduct of the controversy-marred December 5 elections itself following India`s suspension on the ground of government interference. It had also warned the current dispensation to desist from discharging any official function. A defiant IOA went ahead with the elections and also sought to discharge official functions by calling the Executive Council meeting. PTI