The sports ministry on Wednesday shot down the International Olympic Committee’s request not to go ahead with the controversial guidelines that would affect the tenures of chiefs of various National Sports Federations and the Indian Olympic Association.
The government in a letter addressed to IOC president Jacques Rogge said that the world governing body needed to respect India’s “national sentiments” and should help it get a more reasonable solution to the matter, while pointing out that the new directive would only to apply to future elections.
“We urge you to respect our national concerns and sentiments, and assist us in giving Indian sports a better deal,” the ministry said soon after receiving a letter from the IOC, where it had warned of taking ‘protective measures’ against India, if the government went ahead with the regulation.
The ministry expressed surprise at the fact that the IOC had changed its rule in 1999 “in order to have a reasonable age limit of 70 years, a maximum presidential term of 12 years and an office-bearer’s term of eight years to be followed by a break” following criticism from various quarters but did not make it mandatory for NOC to do the same.
“Your present position seems to indicate that what is eminently desirable for the IOC, and has been put in place by the votes of the NOCs, need not be followed by the NOCs themselves, and they may continue to have office-bearers of unacceptable lengths going on to advanced ages,” the letter said.
“Surely the IOC, while not directing, could in the interest of world sports and the good management of NOCs advise them to consider their own practice.”
With the matter coming up for hearing in the Delhi high court next on May 19, the ministry sought time before sending an official to the IOC headquarters in Laussane, Switzerland, for more clarity on the situation.