IOA asks national federations to constitute Athletes Commission in 3 months

The Indian Olympic Association Saturday asked the National Sports Federations to constitute their respective Athletes' Commissions within three months or else face action.

In its annual General Body Meeting here, the IOA also decided to downgrade the NSFs of equestrian and yatching to associate membership without voting rights from being permanent members for allowing individual members to vote in their elections.

They have been asked to hold fresh elections within six months.

Ad hoc committees were also formed for golf and Assam Olympic Association.

"The House gave approval that instructions will be issued to all the NSFs to constitute Athletes Commission within three weeks. We hope all the NSFs will do this. We will take action to those NSFs which do not follow this," IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta told PTI.

"Those NSFs which already have Athletes' Commission need not have fresh elections but those which do not have to conduct elections to form Athletes' Commission," he said.

Regrading the downgrading of some federations, Mehta said, "We have done that on account of voting by individual members in the elections of these NSFs. IOC charter allows voting by members representing federations or state Olympic bodies and not individual members."