IOC postpones July 15 deadline to amend IOA constitution

Lausanne (Switzerland): In a reprieve to the suspended Indian Olympic Association, the IOC has decided to extend the deadline for adopting an amended constitution, the draft of which is currently being reviewed by the world body.

IOC had set a July 15 deadline for the amendment of the IOA Constitution so that elections are held by September 1 to pave the way for lifting the ban on India imposed on December 4 last year. "I would like to inform you that, given the complexity of the issues which have to be addressed (including good governance and ethics), the IOC needs more time to coordinate all comments internally," IOC Director General, Christophe De Kepper said in his letter addressed to India`s Sport Ministry Jitender Singh. "The IOC will therefore not be able to meet the deadline initially established (15 July) for the first Extraordinary General Assembly of the suspended IOA to take place. Consequently, this initial deadline of 15 July will have to be slightly extended until the IOC can compile and send all necessary comments for the new IOA Constitution. "In the next few days, I will confirm a reasonable date/period that could be envisaged for this first Extraordinary General Assembly to take place," he said in the letter which was also addressed to Pradeep K Deb, Secretary, Sports Ministry, Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Acting President of the suspended IOA and Raja Randhir Singh, IOC member and secretary general of the suspended IOA. Earlier this month, IOC had asked the IOA to co-ordinate and submit all amendment proposals to the world body by no later than June 12, 2013, so the process of lifting the ban on India could be started at the earliest. De Kepper said the IOC has received the amendments and are studying the material. "The IOC has received the proposed amendments to the current IOA Constitution and is now in the process of reviewing the IOA Constitution as a whole (including but not limited to the amendment proposals received)," he said. Earlier, there were plans of an IOC representative coming down to India on July 11 but now the official will come at a later date. "The IOC representative will not come on July 11 and he is expected to come within a week from the earlier schedule date," an IOA source revealed. "We have sent the IOA code of ethics and the draft of the Sports commission and ethics commission and the IOC said it will take time to study them," he said. It is learnt that IOC is not happy with the absence of some provisions in the code of ethics sent by the IOA, particularly concerning charge-sheeted officials holding office. PTI