The suspended Indian Olympic Association on Sunday refused to incorporate the "contentious" IOC-proposed clause "that would have barred chargesheeted individuals from holding any post and suggested an alternative that would affect only convicted officials," according to the PTI. While the IOA accepted most of the suggestions, including that of age and tenure made by the IOC in its proposed draft constitution, "there was no consensus on the IOC's proposed clause that no chargesheeted person should be allowed to hold office and contest an election." What the IOA proposed to the IOC was that a convicted official, who has been given a sentence of two years and above, "will be automatically rejected." If the sentence is less than two years "then it should be left to the discretion of IOA's ethics commission (PTI, 8/25). The PTI also reported the IOA "will now have to wait for IOC's decision on the amendments passed on Sunday before the elections proposed to be held on September 29 to pave the way for India's return to the Olympic fold." Regarding the age and tenure rules, meeting Chair S. Reghunathan said, "The age rule applied to the IOC members will apply to IOA also. And we have accepted the tenure rules proposed by the IOC but will apply to only to three office bearers namely president, secretary general and treasurer." The IOA also decided to prune down the number of exec council members from existing 39 to 29 while the president can nominate 10 exec committee members "who will not have voting rights" (PTI, 8/25).
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: IANS reported IOC observer Francisco Elizalde said he was "not 100 percent happy" with the suspended IOA, at its meeting, rejecting the clause relating to barring chargesheeted officials from holding post or running for office. Elizalde, the 81-year-old Filipino, who is also a member of the IOC ethics commission said, "The sanctions against those who are chargesheeted, as proposed by the IOC, was not accepted. So I am not 100 percent happy if you go by the book." Elizalde "remained non-committal" when asked if India, which was suspended last year by the IOC, can soon return to the Olympic fold. Elizalde: "I cannot commit myself. But what I can say is that chances are improving" (IANS, 8/25). The PTI reported acting IOA CEO V. K. Malhotra on Sunday said that he did not attend the special general body meeting of the IOA "as he was not involved in the May 15 Lausanne meeting between the IOC and Indian officials" (PTI, 8/25).
GUN BATTLE: IANS reported the National Rifle Association of India "was barred from attending" the general body meeting of the suspended IOA. The NRAI is fighting a legal battle in Delhi High Court "which ruled the sporting body's elections held April 6 as null and void" (IANS, 8/25).
