There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Indian Olympic Association. Just over five months after it was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the global governing body raised hopes on Wednesday that it would revoke the punishment.
The Indian delegation led by sports minister, Jitendra Singh, and Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, made a strong case before the IOC at its Lausanne (Switzerland) headquarters and wrested an assurance that the suspension may be revoked earlier than expected.
However, the IOC was adamant that the IOA must adhere to the Olympic Charter and follow rules, especially those linked to governance, in letter and spirit.
It has directed the IOA to hold its Annual General Meeting within a month so that dates for fresh elections can be announced. An IOC observer will closely monitor the process, indicating that administrators with a tainted past will not have a place in the new setup. This could mean the end of the road for many sports administrators who were booked on corruption charges after the Commonwealth Games.
The minister also cleared the air on the Sports Code, explaining that it was essentially meant to ensure good governance.
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