International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a suspension threat to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for its failure to hold elections on time, IOA on Saturday has dubbed the world body’s warning as “a little out of line” while reminding it that the courts in India — a country which has “one of the finest and most independent judicial system anywhere in the world” — are seized of the matter.
While the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) letter was jointly addressed to the IOA’s Executive Council (EC), the national Olympic committee’s (NOC) acting president, Anil Khanna, took it upon himself to reply to the governing bodies’ “premature warning of suspension” in a communication. “What I, however, find a little out of line, is a premature warning of suspension without having been given a reasonable opportunity by the lOC/OCA to the lOA.
IOA has been requesting for a meeting with your good selves repeatedly, to draw out the timelines to address the concerns of lOC/OCA.
We are hopeful that you will kindly give us this opportunity,” wrote Khanna in his letter to IOC’s Director of Olympic Solidarity and National Olympic Committee Relations, James MacLeod, and Director General of the OCA, Husain AlMusallam. “The hon’ble court is ensuring that the lOA constitution is also in accordance with the national sports development code of India (NSDCI), law of the land and the Olympic Charter with a fair representation of athletes.