An IOC official said that the organization has "told India it must bar all corruption-tainted officials from its local Olympic body if it wants to return to the Games after being banned last year," according to the AFP. An Indian Olympic Games official said that the IOC has "sent a 43-page draft constitution that needs to be adopted" by the suspended Indian Olympic Association before its next elections in September. The official said, "We have received the IOC draft and we will look into it." The draft, accompanied by a letter from IOC Head of Institutional Relations Jerome Poivey, "stressed the need to keep corrupt officials out of sports administration" (AFP, 8/17). The PTI reported the IOC "also issued a veiled threat of possible action to the IOA, reminding it that it had been under suspension and so should act responsibly to meet the conditions requested by the world body." The IOC letter said, "As per the IOC provision, the constitution would prevent any person charged by a court in India for any serious criminal-corruption offence (whose situation would, therefore, tarnish the reputation of the Olympic Movement) from being eligible for election within the IOA" (PTI, 8/17). The PTI also reported Indian Olympic shooter Abhinav Bindra applauded the IOC's "decision to not change its stance on barring chargesheeted persons" from contesting Indian Olympic Association elections. Bindra said that it was "heartening to see the world body keen on cleaning up sports in the country." Bindra: "As an athlete, I am extremely pleased that the International Olympic Committee is willing to clean up Indian sports" (PTI, 8/17).
