New Delhi: The announcement of dates for next year’s National Games in Uttarakhand has sparked a fresh row between Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and its executive committee members.
Usha recently announced the dates for the 38th edition of the Games (January 28-February 14) and ‘key committees’ to oversee the preparation and conduct. Five committees, including the Games Technical Conduct Committee headed by Sunaina Kumari of Bowling Federation of India, was named, as per Usha’s letter to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on November 6, a copy of which is with HT.
However, none of the EC members, who are at loggerheads with Usha, are in any of the five panels that mainly comprise officials of various national sports federations and state Olympic bodies.
It was learnt that IOA joint secretary and then acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey had on January 12, 2023 informed in a letter to the director-sports, Uttarakhand that IOA has decided that its joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok “will coordinate with the Government of Uttarakhand with regard to the preparations of these Games”. A copy of the letter is with HT.
This was decided at an EC meeting in Meerut chaired by Usha, which discussed the delayed Games. That meeting took place a month after the IOA elections. However, EC member Alaknanda is not in any of the committees notified by Usha.
On Monday, Alaknanda wrote to Usha saying matters of the National Games, including the dates, never came up for “discussions or approval of the IOA EC or General Council”.
“Such unilateral decisions are contrary to the IOA Constitution,” Alaknanda wrote in a letter to Usha.
An EC member said that other members are also of the same opinion that Usha is taking decisions on her own without consultation or approval. “There is confusion regarding the dates as well. The letter issued by Usha while conveying the proposed dates for the Games also mentions that there will be a need to alter the dates as India will participate in the Asian Winter Games (February 7-14). Why are you creating so much confusion for everyone? It will hamper preparations,” said an EC member.
“IOA EC has already named Alaknanda Ashok to coordinate with Uttarakhand, there was no need to name someone else. It is a clear violation of EC decision,” the member said.
The executive board also feels that approval of various national sports federations and state Olympic associations, who are key stakeholders, should have been obtained.
Usha has accused Alaknanda and other EC members of holding their posts in the committee in breach of the Sports Code. The IOA president called a Special General Meeting to discuss the contentious issue of CEO Raghu Iyer’s appointment and put it to vote, but the meeting was later postponed by her.
Alaknanda has also pointed out that forming an ad hoc committee for Tripura Olympic Association on November 8 was a unilateral decision of Usha. “It is troubling to observe that this issue was neither presented to nor deliberated upon by the EC or the General Body,” she said.
