IOA to amend constitution, to end impasse with IOC

Left cornered after being served an ultimatum by the International Olympic Committee, the IOA is all set to amend its Constitution in a General Body Meeting here tomorrow to bar charge-framed contestants from its elections.
The Indian Olympic Association was left with no choice after the IOC served an ultimatum on November 15 to amend the constitution to bar charge-framed persons from contesting polls by December 10.
The constitutional amendments tomorrow would bring to an end the year old impasse between the IOA and the IOC.
The world body said it would recommend India's de-recognition to its Executive Board which meets on December 10 and 11 if the diktat is not followed.

A top IOA official told PTI that the the Special GBM has no other option but to amend the constitution as desired by the IOC.
"We have no other option now. De-recognition will be a disaster for India. Though some members feel that India has been singled out by the IOC on the issue of charge-framed persons, there is no other way out and we have to amend the constitution to bar them," he said.

The Special GBM is also expected to decide on the dates for the IOA elections.
S Reghunathan, who has been chairing the past two meetings, is likely to chair the Special GBM. The last Special GBM meeting on October 27, which was also a requisition meeting, was adjourned sine die so that it can be reconvened at a short notice.

Suspended on December 5 last for government interference in its functioning and for allowing corruption-tainted persons to contest elections, the IOA has remained adamant against the IOC directive to amend its constitution to bar charge-framed individuals from fighting polls.
It has repeatedly sought to dilute the IOC diktat on some pretext or the other, the latest being on October 27 when its GBM proposed referring the case of charge-framed persons to its internal Ethics Commission, before the world body served the ultimatum.