IOA submits affidavit clearing affiliation issue of state units

Months after the Punjab & Haryana High Court put a stay on the elections of the controversial Chandigarh Olympic Association (COA), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted an affidavit clearing the status of the units affiliated and eligible for voting.

It was for the first time that the process of conducting the COA election and preparing its electoral roll was held under the supervision of the UT Administration. In the affidavit, the IOA cleared, “…existing members at any given point in time for any state Olympic association shall always be such associations which stand recognised by not only the state Olympic association as on the date, but also those who hold the recognition from their respective national sports federation.”

It further added, “Merely being the part of the 2021 electoral roll does not ipso facto confer eligibility to participate in the current election. The COA must verify compliance with the eligibility criteria prescribed under the provision of IOA rules and regulations and other applicable provisions, including holding the recognition of the respective national sports federations and submit the verified list to the election officer.”

The IOA also made clear, “…existing members cannot include associations that fail to comply with the requisite rules and regulations of the IOA, COA and sports code/NSGA 2025.” The determination of existing members is said to be undertaken through a harmonious interpretation, including memorandum and rules and regulations of the IOA, constitution and rules of the COA, National Sports Development Code 2011 and others. “The state association must at the time of preparation of the electoral list shall analyse — whether the member (state association) holds their own recognition in accordance with their constitution and whether the member holds recognition from the respective national sports federation.”

Last November, a Punjab & Haryana High Court had halted the COA election proceedings by observing, “As the ‘existing members are yet to be identified, which is the basis of holding the elections, till further orders, the elections scheduled for November 21 are directed to be kept in abeyance and status quo qua the election be maintained.”