IOA asks NSFs to rise above ‘petty politics’

Feb 01, 2010

New Delhi, Feb. 1: The Indian Olympic Association on Monday asked its state units and all national sports federations to rise above "petty politics and self projection" in the wake of continued criticism by sportspersons and scrutiny by the government.

IOA secretary general Randhir Singh, in a two-page letter, accused the sports federations of not being transparent in their functioning, saying: "Our elections have become a bone of contention. We must lay down a proper election process which is totally transparent".

Singh also instructed member organisations to put up properly audited balance sheets of funds received from both the government and the private sector on the the IOA website.

"The call of the day is good governance. The Olympic movement in India has to show the sports fraternity the path to excellence in administration — transparency in its working and above all free and fair selection and training of our sportspersons — whom we have forgotten are the pillars on which stands the world of sports," he wrote, stressing the need to have proper criteria for the selection and training of national athletes.

"A proper criteria must be laid down and circulated well in advance to the sportspersons and a proper list of seedings must be released every quarter to avoid too many selection trials for international competitions.

"Training of sportsmen must be closely monitored and their welfare be kept in mind," he added.

Age Correspondent

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