Indian Olympics Association (IOA)
Express News Service
CHENNAI: Perhaps, this could be considered as one of the shortest Annual General Meetings of the Indian Olympic Association. According to members present in the meeting, it was over within an hour with all agenda passed unanimously, including the audited accounts for the year 2019-20 and 2020-21.
The meeting, according to some members, was just routine and without much drama. However, going by the audited accounts report, it is clear that the IOA had spent about Rs 4.25 crore in two years – 2019-20, and 2020-2021 — as legal expenses. It had spent some Rs 1.7 crore in 2019 which dramatically rose to Rs 2.46 crore in 2020 and Rs 1.8 crore in 2021. All during the earlier regime. There were some hundreds of cases involving the IOA and according to an NSF member present at the meeting, they have found some 31 to be genuine.
The audited accounts were signed by former secretary general Rajeev Mehta, former treasurer A Pandey and its former acting president Anil Khanna, who apparently took over after former IOA president Narinder Batra stepped down in July last year. The reports were completed in August last year. The IOA was in a mess after a very vocal fight between Batra and Mehta. And even now Batra apparently has objected to certain points in the audit and has written to the IOA president. However, there is no confirmation from the IOA.
Though there were talks of reviewing the audits, the IOA has not decided on it. One thing is clear, the current dispensation doesn't want to be part of any mess created by the previous regime. The accounts of the IOA were not audited since 2019 and the IOA had to pass the accounts this financial year to avoid any inconveniences.
CEO appointment priority for Olympic body
State associations also voiced their concern. One of the representatives of the state units requested its voting rights, at least one, in the AGM be restored. It also requested the IOA president to make them part of the National Games process saying they should be part of a tripartite (IOA, state government and SOA) agreement for hosting the Games. The IOA president, her first since taking over the reins, also spoke during the meeting and highlighted the need to appoint a Chief Executive Officer as mandated by the new constitution.
As highlighted by this newspaper, the CEO is yet to be appointed and IOA joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey is discharging its duties. Usha said that the appointment of the CEO, executive director and other staff is the IOA’s utmost priority to bring in professionalism, transparency and accountability. The IOA did not get enough applications and in fact, there was only one candidate that matched the criteria listed in the constitution. The process of recruiting a CEO will start again. The president also said that there will be zero tolerance for corruption, doping, abuse and harassment in sports. She called upon all members to work together and focus on the Asian Games and the Olympics next year.
The committees that were discussed during the executive committee meetings last month too were not announced this time. The house did not discuss anything about patrons or advisors either, and indications are that they may not go ahead with the proposal made during the EC meeting.
