Issue of national shame - IOA suspended, but will lessons be learnt?

[and/or www.mantra.com/jai]

Issue of national shame

Editorial
The Pioneer
Thursday, December 6, 2012

IOA suspended, but will lessons be learnt?

Irrespective of who is to blame for the resounding slap
on this country's face that came on Tuesday when the
International Olympic Committee suspended its Indian
affiliate for failing to comply with the Olympic Charter,
India has been the loser. For a country that has in the
past hosted a variety of international sporting events
and even aspires to host the Olympics some day soon, this
suspension becomes doubly disgraceful. To make matters
worse, the decision is bound to hurt sportspersons more
than the babus of sports, as India will lose a
significant amount in funding. But then again, the IOC
had repeatedly warned the Indian Olympic Association to
put its house in order, and more specifically, conduct
its business in accordance with the Olympic Charter. This
was never done, possibly because, had the IOA's
Constitution been amended — and rules regarding members'
tenure and the age limits incorporated — many of the
worthies who hold leadership positions at the association
would have to give up their chairs. After all, it is old
news that, those who head sporting organisations in India
often treat them like their family jagirs. Of course,
there may be exceptions, but those are exceptions. Given,
the mess that the administrators have created over the
years, it isn’t surprising that leading sportspersons of
the country have demanded a complete overhaul of the
administration, not just in the IOA but in various sports
federations as well.

The IOA is of course now playing the victim card.
According to this national sporting body, it has been
caught in a cross-fire of Government regulations and IOC
rules. While on the one hand, the Union Government
demands that it adhere to the national ‘Sports Code' (and
the Delhi High Court has also issued an order on similar
lines), on the other hand the IOA's international parent
organisation insists that it follow the IOC global
charter.

Continues here:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52959-issue-of-national-shame.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti