NEW DELHI, Apr 12: Government wants an agreement with the Indian Olympic Association and National Sports Federations on the contentious Sports Code before having a joint meeting with the International Olympic Committee next month, Sports Secretary P K Deb said today.
Deb told that an agreement on the age and tenure guidelines under the Sports Code was required for any fruitful discussion with the IOC to pave way for India’s return into the Olympic movement.
“We welcomed the IOC’s proposal for a joint meeting on May 7 at Lausanne. We have been trying for such a meeting for four months so that the we can have a discussion with the IOC. But we need an agreement with the IOA and NSFs on the Sports Code before the meeting,” he said.
Deb said that the IOA and the NSFs don’t need to amend their constitutions to incorporate the provisions of the Sports Code but require an agreement on some contentious clauses before the joint meeting.
“It is not possible for the IOA to amend its constitution and incorporate Sports Code before the joint meeting. We are not saying that. But we need to go to the joint meeting with an agreement among the Ministry, the IOA and NSFs,” he said.
“If we say that the Sports Code should be incorporated by the IOA before the meeting, the IOC will not agree to that. We have to start the discussion with the IOC and the amendments can be made in the constitution of the IOA later on. We have no problems with that,” the Sports Secretary said.
Deb said that all the NSFs, barring Archery Association of India, have accepted the Sports Code in writing.
“53 out of 54 NSFs have accepted the Sports Code in writing. Only Archery Association of India remains, along with the IOA. So basically we have got acceptance of the Sports Code from almost all the NSFs.” (PTI)
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