Latest news with #PTUsha
New Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
With sweeping powers to CEO, IOA dynamics may change
Short backgrounder Just to jog readers' memory, the feud between the EC and IOA president PT Usha started last year in January when she placed the appointment of CEO Raghuram Iyer with the EC for ratification. Initially, according to the IOA president, the EC agreed her proposal with a rider; to renegotiate CEO's salary, which the EC thought was too high. The IOA president then endorsed the appointment saying it was done after renegotiating the salary. However, India's worst phase of sports administration hit its nadir when the feud turned into an ugly public spat. There were multiple forces in action. Things were different then. The sports minister was different, so was the sporting ecosystem. The sports ministry had a different secretary. The Sports Authority of India was all powerful with its top officials overseeing almost all sporting programmes including the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition. The NSFs looked feeble. Just to put some context, the way athletes' commission members were elected before IOA election in 2022 seemed a bit weird. The first part of the nomination of elections was conducted from the premises of the SAI. 'The voting shall take place on 14.11.2022 (Monday) between 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at VIP Lounge of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi 110003,' read the returning officers' notice on electing athletes commission. It is common knowledge that of the 40 odd applications of top athletes from different disciplines all but 10 withdrew overnight. And they in turn selected the eight Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit. Two persons from the athletes commission had voting rights in the general assembly along with the eight SOMs. The EC right from the beginning led by the senior vice president, joint secretary, vice president and others wanted to assert themselves, something that did not go down well with Usha and she was forced to appoint an Executive assistant.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sudden buzz around Indian sport mostly box-ticking
Much activity whirled around Indian sport last week – the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 (NSGB) was tabled in parliament, a new National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2025 made its appearance too and the 19-month ruckus in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) between president PT Usha and the executive council – over the appointment of CEO Raghuram Iyer – suddenly dissolved, Usha brushing everything off as 'small internal disputes'. The 19-month ruckus in the IOA between president PT Usha and the executive council – over the appointment of CEO Raghuram Iyer – dissolved last week. (PTI) At an IOA briefing, there were glimpses of what drove the developments and the bonhomie. IOA joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey, also president of the beleaguered All India Football Federation (AIFF), said IOA's vision was 'to ensure India wins the bid' (to host the 2036 Olympics). He said, IOA would do 'whatever required – that comes with athlete development… good governance… better infrastructure facilities developed… educate athletes in terms of anti-doping… NADA needs to be more equipped to hold more sessions… ensure more sports conclaves… better coordination with all the stakeholders… Whatever is essential to host a big event I think IOA should do and will do.' Promising, forward thinking, a new dawn for Indian sport, etc. Excuse please, hold the beer, sorry, protein shake, because other kinds of news is disturbing this positivity. Qatar formally launched its Olympics2036 bid with a 16-page press kit saying 95 percent of its Olympic venues were 'already in place and tested at the highest level'. Its Instagram reel then showed visuals from the 2022 FIFA World Cup and world championships in athletics (2019), swimming (2024), artistic gymnastics (2025) and the 2025 table tennis world championships finals – all held in Doha, Qatar's 2036 candidate city. In the past ten years, India's list of global sports events hosted is thus: two men's (zero women's) hockey World Cups in Odisha, two shooting World Cup Finals in New Delhi and the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Last week, alongside Chaubey's rah-rah and Doha2036's Instareel came word that only six of 12 Indian badminton players could compete at the World University Games – because Association of Indian Universities (AIU) officials had not submitted a complete list. Then, according to an India Today report, an unnamed player said AIU officials, angry about their public outing, threatened players saying their 'careers will end once we return to India'. Then two more female runners didn't find their name on the start list – totalling eight Indians who couldn't compete at the Universiade due to official carelessness. The AIU suspended its joint secretary Baljit Singh Sekhon but opportunities are already lost. Chaubey's careful listing of the 'essentials' to host 'a big event' is like investing in sandcastles. Indian sport needs these elements to actually nourish its ecosystem from the roots – like cleaning up the damn beach to start with. This sudden buzz around Indian sport is mostly a rapid box-ticking – because that's what IOA was told needed to be addressed when its delegation met the International Olympic Committee (IOC) early this month. The meeting was meant to present – sans public discussion - Ahmedabad's 2036 candidacy. Instead, IOA was told to sort out its in-fighting, address India's proliferation of dope positives and up its sporting performance. Therefore, the IOA peace summit and the push for the two bills around sports governance and anti-doping. Improving athletic performance will mean IOA and national sporting federations (NSF) focusing on athletes over 'big events', so let's not hold our breaths. There lie reveals in the new NSGB as well. It aims for structural changes in how Indian sport is run and creates an independent regulatory body. The National Sports Board is meant to take over overseeing NSF operations from the government. Plus, sporting disputes will now be handled by a National Sports Tribunal, not the civil courts. (As of February, our courts list 217 ongoing sports cases.) Reasonable ideas both. But let's compare the October 2024 draft of the governance bill released for public feedback with what is now in parliament. To start with the NSGB25 is a pared down version of the draft – 9,243 bill-specific words to the draft's detailed 16,210. A simple draft read through shows the clause about at least one female vice-president in IOA's EC has gone missing from NSGB. Surprise, surprise. Now quibbling, but the 'at least 30%' women clause in this 15-member EC has been turned into a 'minimum of four' (26.6%). One less woman's the better, I suppose. The clause that an office-bearer could serve no more than two consecutive terms – on average eight years – in any post is now three terms, followed by a four-year cooling off. That's twelve years, plus there is no maximum number of terms – the candy clause for all sports administrators under 65. Only when an individual crosses 70 at the time of filing nominations for an election will their side careers as sports officials cease. Setting term limits on return post cooling was argued as stifling the expertise and impact of Indian sports' admin brokers globally. Currently, outside of cricket, the Indians holding posts ('cooling off') in international federations are Adille Sumariwalla, vice-president of World Athletics, Malav Shroff, president Asian Sailing Federation and Virendra Nanavati, bureau member World Aquatics. Neeraj Chopra & Ors gives Sumariwalla a pass of sorts but Shroff and Nanavati's international 'influence' has created zero ripple in home waters. NSGB means groundhogs and their days will return. The 'autonomy' of sports federations has ensured the NSGB axe for draft clauses that had seemed appropriate for India's politically interwoven sporting system. This is the deleted clause: 'An individual shall be disqualified from being an Individual Member or a representative of a Voting Member (in an NOC/NSF) upon conviction of an offence and being sentenced for a period of more than 2 (two) years.' Whereas, even under the Constitution, anyone convicted and sentenced for two years cannot contest elections for six years. But Indian sport is a free-for-all anyway, so why can't convicted individuals get a clear run here, eh? There's big events to be conducted.
News18
6 days ago
- Sport
- News18
IOA 'Very Positive' About 2036 Olympic Bid, Yet Cautious As Global Interest Grows
The Indian Olympic Association is hopeful about hosting the 2036 Olympics but admits it's too early to predict. IOA is in talks with the IOC, and the final decision is years away. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) remains optimistic about India's chances of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games but acknowledges it's too early to make predictions, especially with new countries entering the race. Qatar recently announced it has entered into a 'dialogue process" with the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Future Host Commission—a preliminary but significant step toward securing the hosting rights. 'We'd like to believe we are in a very positive state," IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said during a press conference on Thursday. 'But it's still premature to say who will get the hosting rights, because more countries are jumping in. So that's where we are." India submitted its Expression of Interest last year and is already in the 'Continuous Dialogue Process' with the IOC's Future Host Commission. The next phase, the 'Targeted Dialogue Process,' will determine the final host city before a recommendation is made to the IOC Congress. According to Iyer, the announcement of the host nation is likely at least two years away, as the IOC has placed a temporary pause on the process. 'We are in the continuous dialogue stage with the IOC," he explained. 'It's currently a 'pause and reflect' phase for the IOC. They've appointed a new leader who is initiating changes within the organization. 'We'll really understand the direction of the process in the next couple of years." Iyer's appointment as IOA CEO was recently ratified after a prolonged internal conflict between IOA President PT Usha and a majority of executive council members. India Pushes Bid in Lausanne Last month, an Indian delegation traveled to Lausanne to further the 2036 Olympic bid. The group included IOA President PT Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, and Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi, among others. Reflecting on the meeting with IOC officials, Iyer said, 'It was a very positive session attended by the IOC top brass. A follow-up is expected, and we anticipate IOC officials will visit India soon." He emphasized that the dialogue so far has been educational rather than evaluative. 'It's like a workshop," Iyer said. 'We're not there to present a city or pitch a plan. They're guiding us on key themes like sustainability, athlete-centric development, and legacy. It doesn't necessarily have to be a single-city bid." 2030 Commonwealth Games Decision Expected in November India's bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG) has gained traction, especially after Canada withdrew from the bidding process. 'The Commonwealth Games Federation's sports and management teams are currently reviewing potential hosts. A final decision will be made at the General Assembly in Glasgow in the last week of November," said IOA executive council member Harpal Singh. Singh believes India's bid aligns with the CGF's evolving criteria. 'The selection will be based on sustainability, athlete-centered planning, and regional adaptability," he said. 'We are hopeful and optimistic that India will host the 2030 Games." (with PTI inputs) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
CNA
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
India sets house in order, targets doping menace to boost 2036 bid
NEW DELHI :The usually fractious Indian Olympic Association (IOA) put on a united front and declared a war against doping on Thursday to boost the country's bid to host the 2036 Games in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The world's most populous nation, which staged the 2010 Commonwealth Games in its capital New Delhi, has confirmed bidding for the 2036 edition of "the greatest show on earth". Indonesia, Turkey, and Chile are also bidding for the 2036 Olympics, and Qatar on Tuesday became the latest country to show interest in hosting the Games. An Indian delegation visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne this month and media reports said the IOA was told to put its house in order and address the threat of doping. IOA President P.T. Usha spoke to media on Thursday, accompanied by several executive council members, who discussed a no-confidence motion to oust her last year. "What came out (in the media) was probably exaggerated," executive council member Harpal Singh told reporters. "In the interest of the nation, we have resolved all those minor differences within ourselves. "I assure you that going forward, we will strongly stand united and bid for the 2036 Olympic Games." The IOA has decided to address the country's dismal doping record in recent years. Rohit Rajpal, another IOA executive council member, said India had made "significant strides" but an "organised racket" stood in the way of cleaning up sports. "All these areas are going to be attacked by all of us in a very aggressive manner, and hopefully we'll have a free-and-fair sport," Rajpal said after announcing a new anti-doping education programme. IOA chief executive Raghuram Iyer was upbeat about India's chances of getting the 2036 Games. "We are in the stage of continuous dialogue with the IOC," said Iyer. "It's a lot about sustainability, athlete-centric work and the legacy that you're going to leave." With new IOC President Kirsty Coventry pausing the venue selection process, Iyer is expecting more countries to enter the race to host the 2036 Games. "I think in the next couple of years is when we will really get to know which direction it is going to," Iyer said. "It was a very positive meeting with the IOC top brass. The follow-up would be, at some point in time, they would look at coming down to India very soon." India is also bidding to host the Commonwealth Games again in 2030.
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
IOA heading for truce? EC to discuss ‘Vision 2036'
CHENNAI: For the first time in over 18 months, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is organizing a press conference on Thursday. The meet is titled as Powering India's Sporting Aspirations: IOA's Vision 2036. What seems to be the most interesting part is that it is not called by the IOA president or the warring unit of the Executive Committee. It is called by the Executive Council of the IOA. There have been indication over the last couple of months that the IOA is on its mending part. The majority of the Executive Committee members had revolted against IOA president PT Usha when Chief Executive Officer Raghuram Iyer was appointed last year in January.
