International Olympic Committee proposes 'appointed CEO' in place of elected Secretary General in IOA

International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed far-reaching changes to the constitution of the national sports apex body during a joint meeting in Switzerland last month. Representatives of the IOC, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), IOA and Sports Ministry had a meeting in Lausanne on September 27, following a "final warning" by the international sports umbrella body to ban the national Olympic body if elections are not announced before the next IOC executive board meeting (December 5-7).

Following the meeting, which was also attended by India's first individual Olympic gold medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra, the IOC issued a summary which proposed, among other things, to change the position of an elected Secretary General into an appointed CEO hired by the executive committee. "The IOC/OCA will also propose additional elements (such as changing the position of elected Secretary General into an appointed position, so that the Secretary General would serve as a CEO appointed/hired by the Executive Committee, and including an independent ethics commission, a properly functioning athletes commission as per the IOC guidelines and safeguarding practices)," the IOC said in the summary which is in the possession of PTI.

The suggestions, if implemented, will be a far reaching one in the context of Indian sport as it may trigger such moves in other National Sports Federations. Till now, only a few NSFs such as All India Football Federation, have a salaried Secretary General appointed by the executive committee.