IOC sets Oct 31 deadline for IOA to clean house

Hardening its stand against the IOA, the International Olympic Committee has asked the Indian body to sack "charge-framed" officials through constitutional amendments by October 31 and conduct fresh elections by December 15 to return to the Olympic fold.

Hardening its stand against the Indian Olympic Association, the International Olympic Committee has asked the Indian body to sack "charge-framed" officials through constitutional amendments by October 31 and conduct fresh elections by December 15 to return to the Olympic fold.

Giving its "conclusions and decisions" on the IOA's Executive General Meeting held in New Delhi in August, the IOC said the key provision of barring individuals, against whom charges have been framed in court, was ignored by the Indian body.

"The IOC is well aware of the difference in the Indian legal system between charge-sheeted persons and charge-framed persons and has never requested that the clause initially proposed applies for charge-sheeted persons. Therefore it is reiterated that the initial wording is aimed to apply for anyone charge-framed by a court in India," the IOC director general Christophe de Kepper said in a letter to the IOA.

"...the IOC does fully respect the principle that 'until proven guilty, one is innocent'. However, what is at stake is the reputation of the Olympic movement which must not be tarnished," it added.

The IOC then goes on to urge the IOA to act accordingly, setting deadlines for the requisite constitutional changes and the fresh elections.

"It is required that the suspended IOA includes the initial wording proposed by the IOC (or a very similar wording which would not dilute the meaning and the expected results and which would be submitted in advance to the IOC) with respect to both charge-framed and convicted individuals.

"This is pre-requisite for the IOC to approve the revised Constitution of the IOA. For that purpose, the suspended IOA should meet again in a general assembly no later than October 31 and proceed with the required amendments," the IOC stated.

"Once this step in completed and the IOC can approve the new constitution of the IOA, the suspended IOA would be in a position to hold its elective general meeting as soon as possible thereafter and no later than December 15," it added.