Latest news with #RaghuramIyer
New Indian Express
15 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
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
IOA calls SGM to approve CWG 2030 bid
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has called a Special General Meeting to be held on August 13, seeking the approval of members to submit a bid for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games. IOA President P.T. Usha talks with Chief Executive Officer Raghuram Iyer during a joint press conference in New Delhi. (AP) The SGM notice has been issued by CEO Raghuram Iyer, whose appointment was ratified last week after a long internal tussle. This is the first notice to be issued by Iyer. He has listed three agenda items for the meeting. It includes 'approval to submit a bid to Commonwealth Sport (federation) for hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games in India, including any incidental actions therewith.' The other agenda is the consideration and passing of audited statement of accounts for the financial year 2023-24 and the appointment of statutory auditor for financial year 2024-25. India has formally submitted its bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad, which will prepare the ground for the 2036 Olympics that India is bidding to host. An Indian delegation led by IOA president PT Usha met Commonwealth Sport officials in London in June to discuss the bidding process. The CWG 2030 host is likely to be announced at the end of the year. 'A number of countries have expressed interest for CWG 2030 and it's an ongoing process,' according to CGF Sports Committee member Lt Gen (retd.) Harpal Singh, who is also an IOA executive committee member. 'There is a general assembly in the last week of November in Glasgow where hopefully there will be an announcement of 2030 host in line with the CWG reset programme,' he told a media interaction on Thursday. New Delhi staged the 2010 CWG. The 2026 CWG is being held in Glasgow with a curtailed sports programme. 'After Australia (Victoria) pulled out of the 2026 Games, a lot of debate went on the reset of CWG. A four-member committee was made. We are working on giving it. Sports programme for 2030 will be based on long term legacy, sustainability, flexibility in terms of regional appeal and host nations. We are hopeful and optimistic that the 2030 Games will come to India,' he added. With the infighting in IOA resolved, the pending financial bills will be taken up for approval. The national federations – two representatives with one vote each, the IOC member in India, two representatives of the Athletes Commission and eight representing Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit will have the right to vote, as per IOA constitution. 'Representatives of Associate Members (State/UT Olympic Associations), Sports Control Board, besides other NSFs not mentioned in article 10.1 may also attend the SGM but shall not have a right to vote.' The names of the representatives will have to be sent to the IOA by August 5. This is the first SGM called since the meeting of October 25 last year which was put off due to the standoff between Usha and the EC members.
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.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Finally, truce in IOA as CEO appointment ratified by EC
CHENNAI: IN the end it seems like much ado about nothing. Finally, all the factions in the Indian Olympic Association seems to have buried the hatchet. The Executive Committee has ratified the appointment of Chief Executive Officer Raghuram Iyer on Thursday. The appointment of CEO Iyer in January last year led to the majority of the EC members objecting to it and alleged that the IOA president had decided on this unilaterally without the consent of the EC. More than 10 EC members has signed a letter objecting to it. Just over eight months, the IOA seems be an unified lot. IOA president PT Usha said on Thursday that everything has been sorted and the CEO appointment has been ratified which the EC members had objected then. "Everything is sorted out, that is why the CEO (Iyer) is sitting with me," she said during a press meet in New Delhi. Getting the house in order seemed to be their priority after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had warned India that their 2036 Olympic bid without a strong National Olympic Committee might not be favouring them. In quite a few replies to this newspaper, the IOC kept reiterating their position of a united house. Interestingly, the CEO appointment had been accepted by the IOC last year itself. Even before the ratification, the CEO had been part of almost all important meetings involving the IOA including the Paris Olympics, IOC headquarters in Lausanne and Commonwealth Sports. Joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey, who during the days of revolt had proclaimed himself as acting CEO quite a few times and had been rude to the IOA president also seemed at peace when he said they are now looking forward in the interest of the nation.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Positive on India hosting 2036 Olympics, but prediction premature: IOA CEO
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is "very positive" about the country getting the hosting rights of the 2036 Olympics but feels that it's "premature" to predict anything right now as more countries are joining the race. Qatar is the latest country to reveal that it has begun a "dialogue process" with the Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the hosting rights of the 2036 Games, the first step in a lengthy process before a host country is selected. "We would like to believe that we are in a very positive state. But still it will be premature to say (who will get the hosting rights) because there are still countries which are jumping in. So that's where we are," IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said at a press conference here on Thursday. India, which submitted its 'Expression of Interest' last year, is one step ahead as it is in the 'Continuous Dialogue Process' with the Future Host Commission (FHC) of the IOC. The next step is the 'Targetted Dialogue Process' before the FHC recommends a preferred host country to the IOC Congress. He said that the host country for the 2036 Olympics is likely to be known only after two years as the IOC itself has announced a "pause" on the whole process. "We are in a stage of continuous dialogue currently with the IOC. It's pause and reflect for the IOC right now. They just got a new leader (president) who is driving some changes within the IOC. "In next couple of years we will really get to know which direction it is going," said Iyer whose appointment was ratified by the IOA executive council after more than a year due to a bitter feud between Usha and majority of the EC members. An IOA delegation visited Lausanne last month to push for the 2036 Olympic bid. The delegation included IOA president PT Usha, sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi among others. Asked about the visit, Iyer said, "It was a very positive meeting (with IOC officials). It was attended by the IOC top brass. And the follow-up would be at some point in time, they (IOC officials) would look at coming down to India very soon. "The way continuous dialogue works currently, it's almost like they (IOC) were holding a workshop for us. It is not that we would present and say this is the city and this is how we do it. "They (IOC) have held a workshop for us. It's a lot on sustainability, on athlete-centric work that you are going to be doing. It's a lot on the legacy that you are going to leave. So it need not just be one city." 2030 CWG bid decision to be known in November"It's an ongoing process. The Commonwealth sports representatives, the team management and the sports management, they will be going around all the prospective hosts before the General Assembly decides the host in the last week of November in Glasgow," said IOA executive member Harpal Singh. India's chances of getting the 2030 CWG has improved after Canada pulled out of the bidding race. "The host selection will be based on sustainability, athletic centre, flexibility in terms of regional appeal, there needs to be flexibility in terms of the host nations taken. "We are hopeful and optimistic that the 2030 Games will come to India." IOA Athletes Commission to launch ambitious 'India Plays' programme IOA Athletes Commission vice-chairman Sharath Kamal announced the launching of 'India Plays' programme on August 29, the National Sports Day, aiming to get 100 million people playing a particular sport or any activity. "We can clearly see that India is growing more into the direction of building athlete-centric programmes. We would launch a campaign called 'India Plays' which will try to get 100 million people playing a particular sport or any activity on the 29th of August which happens to be our national sports day," said the celebrated former table tennis player. "We'll try and run this campaign through the Athletes Commission of the IOA where we'll have the other Olympians and elite athletes as ambassadors and mobilisers to reach out to the various state Olympic associations and national sports federations, ministry of youth affairs and sports, fit India movements and various other organizations. "We need to have more number of people playing sport and having sport as a way of life. Of course, we all want the medals, Olympic medals and trying to excel at international level but for us as athletes I think this will be a strong movement which will make a sport a part of life, a way of life in every citizen of India." He also said that the IOA Athletes Commission will establish a strong communication channel for active and retired athletes across all sports. "We will develop structures for mental health support, career transition guidance and training access beyond the competitive years and empowerment and leadership programmes where we try and create mentorship programmes and athlete led workshops to help build leadership programmes for all the athletes.
