IOA finalises four-member delegation for IOC meeting

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today finalised a four-member delegation, which will accompany Sports Ministry officials, for a meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne on May 15 to find a way for India's return to the Olympic movement.
The list includes the names of Vijay Kumar Malhotra (Acting President of IOA), N Ramachandran (Patron, Squash Rackets Federation of India), Tarlochan Singh (vice-president, Archery Association of India) and S Raghunathan (President, Indian Kayaking Canoeing Association).
The four-member list was released today after IOC's letter dated May 2 asked the IOA to confirm the names of its delegates, who would be visiting Lausanne for a joint meeting with the IOC.

"I will lead a three-member delegation for the meeting and the flight schedule will be sent to you in couple of days," Malhotra wrote in the letter sent to IOC President, Jacques Rogge, today.
The letter further said that the four-member list should be considered official.
"This should be treated as the only official/authorised communication of the IOA regarding the composition of the delegation for the meeting," the letter added.

Interestingly, the names of Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra and Jharkhand Olympic Association President R K Anand, did not figure in the delegation though some media reports had listed them.

It is learnt that the suspended IOA, headed by Abhay Singh Chautala, has also submitted a list to IOC in which the names of Batra, Anand and AFI President Adille Sumariwalla figure.
The IOC's letter had clearly stated that the IOA must submit the names of not more than three representatives of National Sports Federations (in order to keep a reasonable size for this meeting).