Kalmadi retiring, Nachappa happy
17 Oct 2012 7:22 AM IST
Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi’s decision not to run for re-election next month has been welcomed by an independent sports group that had been pushing for his ouster.
Clean Sports India vice-president Ashwini Nachappa said on Tuesday, ‘Our fight has been justified.’ The controversial Kalmadi confirmed last weekend that he will not contest the IOA elections after 16 years at the helm. The International Olympic Committee told the IOA that Kalmadi and two other officials linked to the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games corruption scandal should not be allowed to contest the elections on Nov. 25.
‘I have served Indian sports, for the last four terms as president of the IOA, to the best of my abilities and have now decided to make way for a new generation of sports leaders,’ Kalmadi said in a statement on Saturday.
IOC said its ethics committee recommended that IOA suspend Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot and VK Verma until court proceedings are completed. ‘We sent a letter,’ Nachappa, a former Olympic sprinter, said, ‘Signed by some 400 athletes to the IOC to make them understand the situation here and that the IOA was only likely to succumb to its parent body rather than to the government. We were in regular touch with IOC officials about the issue and had got repeated assurances from them.’
Kalmadi spent nine months in jail for graft charges related to the Commonwealth Games, which were marred by construction delays, and a budget which ballooned to $15 billion from an initial estimate of $412 million.
Kalmadi, who has not been convicted of anything and is out on bail, has not resigned even though he is not involved in the IOA’s regular functions. Another veteran administrator, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, has been running the association as the acting president.
‘He [Kalmadi] has stated that he will not contest the IOA elections but there are still others who have been around for a long time. We’ve not been against Kalmadi but rather want a proper system in place. Sports administration is not a family business that one runs. You have to follow norms, get sportsmen into the system,’ Nachappa said.
Clean Sports India vice-president Ashwini Nachappa said on Tuesday, ‘Our fight has been justified.’ The controversial Kalmadi confirmed last weekend that he will not contest the IOA elections after 16 years at the helm. The International Olympic Committee told the IOA that Kalmadi and two other officials linked to the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games corruption scandal should not be allowed to contest the elections on Nov. 25.
‘I have served Indian sports, for the last four terms as president of the IOA, to the best of my abilities and have now decided to make way for a new generation of sports leaders,’ Kalmadi said in a statement on Saturday.
IOC said its ethics committee recommended that IOA suspend Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot and VK Verma until court proceedings are completed. ‘We sent a letter,’ Nachappa, a former Olympic sprinter, said, ‘Signed by some 400 athletes to the IOC to make them understand the situation here and that the IOA was only likely to succumb to its parent body rather than to the government. We were in regular touch with IOC officials about the issue and had got repeated assurances from them.’
Kalmadi spent nine months in jail for graft charges related to the Commonwealth Games, which were marred by construction delays, and a budget which ballooned to $15 billion from an initial estimate of $412 million.
Kalmadi, who has not been convicted of anything and is out on bail, has not resigned even though he is not involved in the IOA’s regular functions. Another veteran administrator, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, has been running the association as the acting president.
‘He [Kalmadi] has stated that he will not contest the IOA elections but there are still others who have been around for a long time. We’ve not been against Kalmadi but rather want a proper system in place. Sports administration is not a family business that one runs. You have to follow norms, get sportsmen into the system,’ Nachappa said.
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