A day after his arrest on corruption charges, Suresh Kalmadi's 15-year tenure as the IOA president came to an abrupt end after he was sacked from the post and veteran sports administrator VK Malhotra was 'unanimously' named as the acting president.
The 59-year-old Batra is one of the few sports administrators to head a national Olympic committee while heading an important international sports federation.
The Indian Olympic Association will not abide by Sports Ministry's direction to reply to the show-cause notice by Friday on the controversial elevation of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as life presidents as it will first consult its parent international body.
Mittal, in a letter to the FIH, has alleged that "a major cover up" was done to allow Batra to contest the election for the top sports job of the country. Batra offered a rebuttal in a communication to Bach.
Stung by International Olympic Committee's directive to bar charge-sheeted persons from contesting elections, the Indian Olympic Association on Friday wrote to its parent body, saying that it cannot implement the provisions as it has to follow the law of the land.
Sanjay Singh claimed that the veteran wrestlers who have been protesting do not want junior wrestlers to progress
The two wrestlers, who have accused Sharan Singh of sexually harassing women grapplers, called on the PM to intervene.
From wrestlers' protest to WFI elections: Timeline
The Indian Olympic Association obtained support from the Olympic Council of Asia "against the Government's interference" in their autonomy and functioning.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled the former state of Jammu and Kashmir did not have any 'internal sovereignty' that was distinguishable from the powers and privileges enjoyed by other states in the country.
Brij Bhushan's comments came soon after his meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda following Sports Ministry's suspension of the WFI till further orders.
Livid with Abhinav Bindra's sustained campaign against tainted officials in the Indian Olympic Association, the suspended body's president Abhey Singh Chautala launched a stinging personal attack on the Olympic gold-medallist shooter, saying he should first sort his house in order before commenting on others.
The suspended WFI, despite being warned of legal action by the Sports Ministry for organising the 'nationals', went ahead with the tournament in Pune from January 29-31.
Earlier, the IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said expenses of the ceremonial dress and playing kits of the athletes do not come from its coffers. He claimed that cost will be borne by the sponsors who have signed a contract with it to deal with only the affiliated federations.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday welcomed the suspension of the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), but said the Sports Ministry should have taken the decision earlier.
Claiming that Indian Olympic Association chief Abhay Singh Chautala was ineligible to attend the August 25 Special General Body Meeting in Delhi, Clean Sports India president Ashwini Nachappa has asked the International Olympic Committee not to heed to the decisions taken by 'few corrupt officials and politicians' in that conclave.
A last-minute decision by the banned Indian Olympic Association to comply with IOC orders is a good first step for the country's gradual return to the Olympic fold, IOC president Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
A new body is in place to run boxing in India but the turmoil in the sport seems far from over with the Indian Olympic Association sitting on Boxing India's request for recognition even as its ad-hoc committee invited entries for next year's National Games despite having no validity.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
The following is the timeline of the chain of events that led to the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India by UWW, the sport's global governing body.
Former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Narsingh Pancham Yadav was elected chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India's Athletes' Commission in Varanasi on Wednesday, completing a process that was mandated by the sport's world governing body.
Abhay Singh Chautala on Thursday offered to relinquish the life presidency of the Indian Olympic Association, but only if the International Olympic Committee has reservations about his elevation to the position.
The Athletes Commission of the IOA has recommended the national Olympic body to put systems in place to deal with issues of the players "with respect and dignity" in the light of the protest by India's top wrestlers.
A defiant Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will challenge its suspension by the Sports Ministry in court next week and has also called for an Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi on January 16 to discuss the way forward.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday decided at its Special General Meeting (SGM) that it will start functioning at 'no cost to the government' model if its request to lift the suspension is not considered by the Sports Ministry.
Calling on the IOA to sort out the administrative mess which led to India's suspension from the Olympic movement, IHF patron KPS Gill has said that the overhauling should put in place a system so clean and efficient that it becomes a model for the world to follow.
India is set to host the sixth edition of Asian Beach Games in 2020 in Maharashtra subject to government approval, the Indian Olympic association said on Friday after its executive council meeting in Chennai. The Asian Beach Games, to be held under the aegis of Olympic Council of Asia, is considered as the second largest multi-sport event in the continent after the Asian Games. Vietnam hosted the 5th edition in Da Nang this year with more than 2000 athletes from 41 Asian countries competing in 14 sports.
Wrestlers express disappointment with PT Usha's comments.
Muzaffar Shah of Awami National Conference said he has filed the petition seeking review of the verdict which held Article 370 was a temporary provision in the Constitution.
Vinesh Phogat returned her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to the government protesting against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-loyalist Sanjay Singh.
Hardly 24 hours have passed since the formation of the new wrestling federation and trouble has started brewing within the sports body with Secretary General Prem Chand Lochab demanding postponement of the junior Nationals, saying the President did not follow rules while announcing the dates for the competition.
'The biggest question is why members of parliament and senior party functionaries of the BJP still supporting Suresh Kalamadi when they were opposing him for opposing the Congress Party'
Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik on Thursday advised the country's wrestlers to participate in the Nationals conducted by the ad-hoc committee in Jaipur and not in the event organised by the suspended national federation.
Article 370 of the Constitution, which bestowed special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was a 'temporary provision' and any interpretation of the provision cannot postulate that integration of J-K with India was temporary, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
The trials were initially planned for February 27-29 but got postponed
The Sports Ministry warned of legal action against suspended Wrestling Federation of India president Sanjay Singh for making 'absolutely baseless and mischievous' claims.
The IOA elections were due last December but have been held up by a court case seeking to change its constitution in line with rules stipulated by the national sports code.
WFI's ad-hoc panel to work with just one member for at least a week
WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh urged that the national championships and camps should be conducted as all activities have come to a standstill.
WFI decided that it will seek a dialogue with the Sports Ministry for revocation of its suspension, saying it does not want a clash with the government and the legal options will be explored only if talks fail.
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