Exclusive: IOC threatens India with suspension

Sends terse letter to Executive Council over failure to hold electionsNEW DELHI: India has been threatened with "suspension" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) failure to hold elections, due since December 2021, and for outside interference and court battles. In a terse letter to members of the IOA's Executive Council (EC), the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) have jointly flagged the issue of autonomy and violation of the Olympic charter.

"The IOC and the OCA have been following, with great concern, the latest developments affecting the IOA. It is very unfortunate to note that multiple legal proceedings have been initiated, which have only caused delays and created unnecessary complications so far, while the IOA should have addressed and solved these institutional issues internally, as per our recommendations and the usual approach that prevails within the Olympic movement," read the letter, jointly signed by James Macleod, IOC's director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC relations, and Husain Al-Musallam, Director General and Technical Director, OCA.

TOI has a copy of the letter. "Consequently, we urge you to convene a meeting of the IOA EC, followed by an extraordinary/special meeting of the IOA General Assembly, to review and solve this situation once and for all and confirm the date of the IOA quadrennial elections without any further delay, in accordance with the Olympic charter and the IOA constitution currently in force and approved by the IOC.