India will participate in Olympics: Government tells high court

Lucknow: The Union Government Thursday informed the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court that sports persons from India will participate in the next Olympics despite the ban on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by International Olympic Committee (IOC).

K.C.Kaushik, additional solicitor general, stated before the bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya that even if IOA suspension was not revoked, the government "will ensure India`s participation in the forthcoming Olympics." The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by IPS officer Amitabh Thakur and his wife Nutan as regards suspension of IOA. Representing the Union Government, Kaushik said "that the Indian sports persons will not suffer whether the IOA amends its constitution or not." IOC had suspended IOA, December 2012, for not complying with the directions to suitably amend its constitution and again recently directed IOA to amend its constitution by Oct 31. The petitioners had asked the sports ministry to be directed to use its authority to ensure that IOC directions are complied in the prescribed period and Indian sports person participate in Olympics. The case will be next heared Oct 31. IANS