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Sports minister Mandaviya to meet Usha, EC members to resolve IOA impasse
Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will meet IOA president PT Usha to resolve governance issues affecting the organization's functioning.
New Delhi: Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will meet the Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and executive committee members to discuss ways to end the long-standing governance crisis in the apex sports body, it has been learnt.
Usha and the EC members have been at loggerheads and that has severely impacted IOA’s functioning. The EC has not ratified the appointment of Usha-backed CEO Raghuram Iyer.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) raised the governance issue with the Indian delegation that went to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne recently to discuss India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics. Due to the governance issues, IOC has suspended its Olympic Solidarity grants to IOA.
In the last few days, Mandaviya has made attempts to bring Usha and EC members to the negotiating table. He has held informal meetings with the EC members. It has been learnt that Usha too has reached out to a few EC members in her bid to break the ice.
As reported by HT, the IOA truce started with Usha including treasurer Sahdev Yadav and EC member Bhupender Bajwa in a panel to set a roadmap for the delayed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections.
Iyer, too, has spoken to some EC members.
An official said his appointment is likely to be ratified now with certain renegotiations. “A middle way is being worked out to break the deadlock,” the member said.
