The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has again invited representatives of the suspended IOA and Sports Ministry for a meeting in lausanne on May 7 in yet another attempt to find a way for India's return to the Olympic movement even as the stand-off between the government and sport body persisted.
After the joint meeting, which was earlier scheduled to be held in lausanne on April 15 and 16, was postponed for the second time in two months last week due to the stand-off between the IOA and the government, the Indian Olympic Association acting chief V K Malhotra had sought directions from its world parent body on how to resolve the matter.
Responding to Malhotra's request, IOC's National Olympic Committee relations director Pere Miro wrote in his letter that the only way to resolve the stand-off is for all the parties to hold a dialouge to resolve the matter.
"It is very surprising that you request our guidance as to what action you should take since we have made it clear since January this year that the only way to find a solution is for all parties to meet, discuss and agree on a roadmap,” Miro wrote in his letter to the IOA said
“For that purpose we invited you to a meeting in lausanne and proposed concrete dates. However, you did not reply to our invitation. "Now we hereby call for a meeting to be held on 7 May 2013 in lausanne," he wrote.
“The Sports Ministry has welcomed the IOC's proposal. We welcomed the IOC's proposal for a joint meeting on May 7 at lausanne.
“We have been trying for such a meeting for four months so that the we can have a discussion with the IOC. But we need an agreement with the IOA and NSFs on the Sports Code before the meeting," he said. "It is not possible for the IOA to amend its constitution and incorporate Sports Code before the joint meeting. We are not saying that. But we need to go to the joint meeting with an agreement among the Ministry, the IOA and NSFs," he said.
Meanwhile, the IOA is willing to amend its constitution in line with age and tenure guidelines of the controversial Sports Code of the government, a top IOA official said on Saturday.
"There is a feeling that the IOC is willing for a solution.
Repeated request for meeting should not be ignored but before going to lausanne there should be an amicable agreement between the IOA and Sports Ministry," he said.
"All the NSFs and IOA senior officials are willing to amend the constitution and bring in those clauses which deprived a much longer stay of individuals in the Olympic set-up. Also in recent IOA elections, age limit clause was observed. Having agreed to these conditions, there should not be any dispute between Sports Ministry and IOA," he said.