The war between the sports ministry and the brass of the Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federations over tenure limits has of late turned into an exchange of letters, with the latter frequently flaunting letters of support from the world governing body or their Asian counterpart.
The Olympic Council of Asia on Thursday took “serious exception” to the ministry’s questioning the credibility of its secretary general Randhir Singh, saying that such personal attacks were not acceptable.
The ministry had charged Singh, who is also the secretary general of the IOA, of taking advantage of his dual role in the OCA and the International Olympic Committee on the issue of prolonged tenures in sports bodies.
“I am extremely dismayed at the contents of the above referred letter. Singh is the secretary general of OCA for last two decades and his knowledge, wisdom and commitment to the Olympic movement has been exemplary,” OCA director general Husain Al-Musallam said in his reply to sports minister M.S. Gill.
“He has always strived to maintain a fine balance between the various arms of the Olympic movement. Therefore any such attack on him personally will not be accepted and entertained by the OCA,” he said.