IOA retains Monitoring and Marketing committees

The IOA on Monday retained veteran sports administrator K P Singh Deo as the convener of the Olympic Games Monitoring committee, constituted to involve sportspersons qualified for the Games and their federations in preparations for the London event.

New Delhi: The IOA today retained veteran sports administrator K P Singh Deo as the convener of the Olympic Games Monitoring committee, constituted to involve sportspersons qualified for the Games and their federations in preparations for the London event.

The other members of the committee are: IOA acting-President Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra (Chairman), Randhir Singh (Vice Chairman), President or Secretary General of every qualifying federation and one sportsperson as "athlete representative" from each qualifying Federation. IOA has also made no change to the four-member Marketing Committee headed by All India Tennis Association (AITA) Secretary General Anil Khanna to look after the Marketing Committee (sponsorship and TV rights) for the Olympics. In a statement, Malhotra said by reconfirming these committees along with reconstituting setting up of Arbitration and Ethics commission "we have fulfilled our commitment to make the IOA more inclusive and transparent. Now qualified sportspersons will have a say in the training and preparation of the teams for the mega event". Malhotra also added that the decision to reconfirm and reconstitute the committees was done as per the decision taken at the Annual General meeting (AGM) of the IOA. "We have asked the federations to let us know what are their plans for training and coaching of the qualified sportspersons and what help they need from the IOA," said Malhotra. "We will provide them all possible assistance, so that our sportspersons perform well in these Games. IOA`s endeavour is to make sportspersons feel that they are part of the Olympic movement in the country," he added. Malhotra said efforts are being made to generate "our own resources for sending the contingent to London. We have set up a marketing committee with knowledgeable people and experts in the field so that we do not have to depend on Government grants". The other members of the Marketing Committee (sponsorship and TV rights) London Olympics comprises Raninder Singh (President NRAI), S Ragunathan (President Kayaking and Canoeing Association) and N Ramachandran (Treasurer IOA). PTI