BJP MP from Bhiwani takes charge of Haryana Olympic Association

The MP was 'unanimously elected' as the HOA chief as its previous head P V Rathee, a former IPS officer had relinquished charge

BJP Member of Parliament Dharambir Singh, who has taken charge of the Congress-backed faction of Haryana Olympic Association (HOA), said he would endeavour to take the state to new heights in sports arena and work for the interests of athletes by rising above political considerations.

Singh, who had last year switched over from the Congress party to join the BJP, took charge as the HOA president at a function held at its headquarters at Panchkula yesterday.

The MP from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh said that he had been "unanimously elected" as the HOA chief as its previous head P V Rathee, a former IPS officer had relinquished charge.

A week back, at a meeting held at Rohtak, Singh's name was announced as the next HOA chief.

Interestingly, the move to appoint Dharambir as HOA president came barely a fortnight after Haryana BJP MLA from Radaur constituency, Shyam Singh Rana, had constituted Olympic Association Haryana to take the reigns of sports activities in the state on the grounds that the athletes had been suffering.

General-Secretary of the Rana-led outfit, Naresh Malik had told reporters earlier that the move to appoint Dharambir as the HOA chief was "purely a politically-motivated step to destabilise sports activities and defame the party (BJP)".

He had also said that they had taken up the issue with Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij.

Dharambir Singh told reporters that it would be his endeavour to organise successful state level games in future.

Spelling out his priorities, Singh said, "To promote the games, we will start from grassroot level so that we can build a good team at state and national level."

Asked about parallel sports associations cropping up with the change of guard in Haryana, Dharambir said, "Players do not belong to any political group. Our endeavour will be to rise above any narrow considerations.