Increased participation should be our goal in new Olympic cycle: Chef de Mission Gagan Narang
Clean Sports India (CSI) on Saturday condemned the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for shying away from taking any action against its tainted president Suresh Kalmadi despite repeated threats from the world body to act on its own on the matter.
After seeking a delay in the Asian Games trials, the protesting wrestlers have now written to the Sports Ministry.
On speculation that Phogat might enter the political arena, Singh refused to comment saying it was a personal matter of the 30-year-old wrestler. He said he would extend full support to Phogat if she returns to competitive wrestling.
Indian Olympic Association chief N Ramachandran has slapped a defamation notice on Narinder Batra, demanding Rs 10 crore for allegedly damaging his reputation by his bribery allegations even as the Hockey India president dared the IOA boss to sue him in a court of law.
The infighting within the Indian Olympic Association took a sensational turn with Narinder Batra alleging that N Ramachandran camp offered him a huge sum of money in return for his support during the elections last year, a claim strongly rebutted by the incumbent IOA president.
The Indian Olympic Association president Narayanswami Ramachandran on Friday claimed that the government has agreed to consider the possibility of India bidding for the hosting rights of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Tennis duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will have added responsibility to return with an Olympic medal from Beijing, especially after the Indian Olympic Association accommodated extra support staff for them, a favour that eluded boxer Akhil Kumar.
The top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) delegates were busy giving finishing touches to their action plan as they geared up for the crucial meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne to draw a roadmap for India's return to the Olympic fold.
The bitter turf war in the IOA seems to be taking one dramatic turn after another with the latest twist being the release of a showcause notice that was sent to sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi by the body's disbanded Ethics Commission.
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.
With hopes of the ban on the Indian Olympic Association being lifted, Sports Minister Jitendera Singh, on Monday, cleared the air, stating that, if needed, he will meet International Olympic Committee officials in Lausanne.
Abhay Singh Chautala took over as the president of the Indian Olympic Association while the tainted Lalit Bhanot became the secretary general after the IOA conducted its controversial elections, on Wednesday, defying the IOC's directive not to go ahead with the polls.
Frustrated by Indian Olympic Association's refusal to grant them recognition, Boxing India President Sandeep Jajodia said he was 'baffled' by IOA's logic.
The sports fraternity expressed outrage over the International Olympic Committee's decision to suspend India for government interference, with some athletes blaming the IOA for the entire fiasco. While some former sportspersons were critical of the way the IOA handled the whole issue, some current athletes bemoaned the fact that their Olympic participation for the country has been jeopardised.
The suspended Indian Olympic Association is willing to amend its constitution in line with age and tenure guidelines of the controversial Sports Code of the government, a top IOA official said on Saturday.
The International Olympic Committee's decision to write a letter directly to the Sports Minister for a joint meeting has come as a surprise to suspended IOA officials.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) finalised a four-member delegation, which will accompany Sports Ministry officials, for a meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne on May 15 to find a way for India's return to the Olympic movement.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Left cornered after being served an ultimatum by the International Olympic Committee, the Indian Olympic Association is all set to amend its constitution in a general body meeting in New Delhi on Sunday to bar charge-framed contestants from its elections.
IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, said the body is closely monitoring the fast-evolving situation triggered by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 14,000 and infected over 300,000. The Olympics are looking increasingly uncertain and the IOC has admitted that it would consider all options, including postponement, in four weeks from now.
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.
The newly-elected body of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday cancelled all the decisions taken by the Bhupender Singh Bajwa-led ad-hoc panel, that had recently changed the Olympic selection criteria and announced hosting of senior National Championship in Jaipur.
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.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has accepted the Indian Olympic Association's invitation to become a goodwill ambassador for the country at the upcoming Rio Olympics. He is third goodwill ambassador roped in by the IOA after Bollywood actor Salman Khan and ace shooter Abhinav Bindra.
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 Indian Olympic Association on Thursday backed the Asia Cup-winning hockey players' statements on the "step-motherly treatment" meted out to them, saying Olympic sportspersons' achievements go unnoticed in the country.
Legendary athlete Milkha Singh lashed out at the Indian Olympics Association, holding it responsible for the poor performance of the Indian sportspersons at the ongoing Rio Olympics. Milkha, who had missed a bronze medal by a whisker in the 1960 Rome Olympics, said that the standard of performance of the Indian sportspersons has gone down as compared to earlier editions of the Games. "True, we have not being doing well (in Rio). In earlier Olympics, we have done better, winning medals, even gold, silver and bronze. The IOA will have to take responsibility for this," Milkha said.
Describing wrestling's omission from the 2020 Olympics as demoralising, the IOC-recognised IOA and the Wrestling Federation of India hoped that the sport would be brought back on the schedule after reconsideration.
India's wait to get back to Olympic fold will be delayed further after the International Olympic Committee stuck to its stand on the chargesheet clause, clearly stating that the IOA has to adopt the above mentioned clause in order to ensure good governance.
The Indian sporting fraternity reacted with disappointment at the (CAS verdict rejecting wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal against her Olympic disqualification.
Under pressure to quit, tainted Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi on Saturday said that he will not seek re-nomination in the IOA's upcoming elections and hinted at retiring from sports administration.
Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) moved the Delhi High Court on Tuesday challenging the decision of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to declare its rival Hockey India (HI) as the central body for regulating hockey in the country.
South Korean swimmer Tae Hwan Park and not Jaspal Rana won the Most Valuable Player award at the Doha Asian Games.
The International Olympic Committee has told the Indian Olympic Association to sack "charge-framed" officials through constitutional amendments by October 31 and conduct fresh elections by December 15 if it wants to return to the Olympic fold.
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.
While asking for the report, IOA made it clear that it fully acknowledges that it is the prerogative of the National Sports Federation (NSF) -- in this case AITA -- to select the team.
Alarmed that the recent dope flunk by three weightlifters could send out a negative image of the country ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Friday formed a four-member committee to look into the matter and submit a report within a week.
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.
Achanta Sharath Kamal said the ongoing protest by the wrestlers has shown the importance of an athletes' body in all National Sports Federations.
