The Indian Olympic Association will go ahead with its scheduled General Body meeting on Thursday here to discuss the roadmap prepared by the IOC for India’s return to Olympic fold, despite strong opposition by some members who feel such a conclave will serve no purpose at this stage.
The IOA was to hold its GBM on Thursday following an earlier directive of the International Olympic Committee to amend its constitution by July 15 but now it has to change its plan after the IOC extended the deadline, saying that it would need more time to study the proposed amendments.
A top IOA official said the meeting will decide a date for the Extraordinary General Body Meeting which will be called to amend the constitution. “We had called for a meeting on July 11 following a requisition (from National Sports Federations) after the IOC told us to amend the constitution by July 15. Now the IOC has extended the deadline but we are still going on with the meeting,” the official said.
“We will fix a date of the Extraordinary GBM which will have to be called for the amendment of IOA constitution after the IOC replied on the proposed amendments submitted by us. We will not need another requisition if we fix the date of the GBM on Thursday’s meeting. Otherwise, we will need another requisition from NSFs,” he said.
He said the members will also discuss the IOC roadmap in the light of the new developments, including the latest letter from the world body. “We will update the members about the latest development, including the IOC letter which extended the deadline, and how to present ourselves to the IOC representatives who are scheduled to come here in the last week of August,” he said.
However, the decision to go ahead with the meeting has not gone down too well with some of the members, who feel it will be a waste of time and money since no major decicisions can be taken.
Acting IOA chief V K Malhotra, however, has written a letter to the IOC distancing himself from the proposed meeting saying it has been convened without his knowledge.
It is learnt that IOC Member in India Randhir Singh is also not in favour of such a meeting at this stage.
An official said Malhotra is not in favour of this meeting since IOC is still studying proposed amendments and has not given its views yet. “This meeting has no meaning now since the IOC had said that it would take time to study the proposed amendments. If it is going ahead, those going ahead with it have not asked for my consent,” the official said.
The IOC had initially set a July 15 deadline for the amendment of IOA Constitution so that elections could be held by September 1.