New Delhi: The sports ministry has taken a stern view of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha recognising the Indian Golf Union elections won by the Harish Kumar Shetty-led faction, asking IOA to adhere to its constitution and the National Sports Code.
IGU polls have come under scrutiny as two elections were conducted under separate returning officers on December 15. While the sports ministry has acknowledged the elections where incumbent Brijinder Singh won a second term as president, IOA president Usha granted recognition to the Shetty group after ‘review’ of the two AGMs and elections.
The sports ministry on Thursday raised questions on Usha’s order, asking whether the decision has the approval of the IOA executive committee or its affiliation committee.
“It has come to the attention of this Ministry that the President, IOA, has issued a letter of recognition on 30/12/2024 to another elected body providing certain reasons to justify it. It is not clear whether the IOA Executive Committee and/or the concerned IOA Affiliation Committee has examined the matter with due diligence with regard to the established legal provisions and norms, including IGU’s constitution and the Sports Code.
“Such actions by IOA create avoidable duplication and confusion and may not withstand legal scrutiny,” the sports ministry said in its two-page letter to IOA.
The sports ministry said it acknowledged the Singh-led IGU based on reports of its observer and also the acknowledgement of the elections by the International Golf Federation on its website.
Decision arbitrary: IOA executive council
It has been learnt that some IOA executive council members have already written to sports ministry saying they were not consulted on the IGU affiliation and it was an “arbitrary” decision taken by Usha.
The IOA has been in a crisis with Usha and the executive board members at loggerheads. An emergency executive committee meeting held in September to discuss CEO Raghuram Iyer’s appointment turned out to be a stormy affair. Since then, the executive council have accused Usha of taking “unilateral” decisions regarding matters related to conduct of National Games in Uttarakhand, elections and affiliation related issues of state Olympic bodies and national sports federations.
Following ministry’s letter, IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav, who is also a member of its Affiliation and Dispute Committee wrote to Usha, calling her decisions regarding IGU, Bihar and Rajasthan Olympic bodies, and appointment of ad hoc panel for the sport of curling, as “illegal and unauthorised”.
On Thursday, Usha dissolved the Bihar Olympic Association (BOA) and formed an ad hoc committee to run the affairs, while granting affiliation to one of the groups in Rajasthan elections. She passed the orders on the basis of reports of fact-finding commissioners she had instituted. Yadav said the IOA constitution has not given her the authority to decide in such matters, terming her orders “invalid and not enforceable.”
“You have no power and authority to take such decisions which are invalid in law and IOA. The BOA and NSF of Curling continues to stay as it was and the ad-hoc committees formed by you are invalid and not enforceable. The Rajasthan Olympic Association approval is invalid until approved by EC and ratified by general assembly and in golf, the body recognised by the international federation and also by government is real body for golf in India,” Yadav said in his letter to Usha on Friday
Another IOA executive council member wrote to sports ministry on Friday, saying the matter of granting affiliation to IGU was “never brought before the executive council for consideration”.
“In fact the IOA President continues to be on a spree of unconstitutional decision making and violating the articles of IOA constitution, not convening the regular EC meetings being one among many,” the member noted.
