Tainted CWG official Lalit Bhanot elected as IOA Secretary General

Zeenews Sports Bureau

New Delhi: Tainted sports administrator Lalit Bhanot has been elected unopposed as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as all the candidates contesting the post withdrew from the elections. Abhay Chautala has also been elected unopposed as the president of the IOA. Bhanot, who was jailed and later released on bail in connection with the Commonwealth Games corruption scam, was the only candidate for the post after Volleyball Federation of India Secretary General K Murugan and Judo Federation of India General Secretary Mukesh Kumar decided to withdraw from the fray. It was already decided that Chautala would win unopposed when IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh withdrew from the contest a few days back. The International Olympics Committee had on Thursday made it clear that it would propose the suspension of IOA in its Executive Board Meeting early next month if the upcoming IOA elections are held under the government`s Sports Code, a development which has put the controversial polls under a cloud. In a letter written by IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper to IOA acting chief V K Malhotra, the world body rejected IOA`s request to send an international delegation to resolve the issue and threatened to intiate the process of suspending the Indian sports body. The world body reiterated its directive to the IOA as expressed in its letter on November 23 to present its position to the IOC by November 30 or face suspension.