THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) and at times the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) give the impression that the Olympic Charter can never be violated without attracting sanctions from the IOC. Though examples can be pointed out at the global level to show how politics and sports had been mixed through the years, with the IOC taking only minimal action, if at all, at home we have had a number of situations in the past where the IOC has remained silent despite the Charter being violated for decades. Here is our pick:
1. Between 1976 and 1985, the IOA had a set of government guidelines in its constitution forced down its throat, at first during the Emergency. There were murmurs within the IOA but the IOC did not suspend India despite government interference.
2. Until 2008, the IOA did not have anything to suggest in its constitution that there was a World Anti Doping Code that was in operation since January 1, 2004. The Olympic Charter says the Code is mandatory for the whole Olympic movement.
3. Until 2011, the Olympic Charter was constantly breached in India because the voting majority did not constitute the federations controlling sports included in the Olympic Games, as was stipulated. The IOC took no action for years.
4. In 2010, the IOC did not want State Olympic Associations to be voting members of the IOA. After having agreed to the constitution amendments suggested by the IOC at its Ranchi meeting in February, 2011, the IOA went back on its promise and amended its constitution once again, undoing the good work done months earlier. The IOC apparently agreed.
5. To date there has been no attempt to have athletes representatives in the Executive Council of the IOA as stipulated in the Olympic Charter. The newly elected officials have nominated an Athletes Commission, but in concept it should be a group of athletes elected by athletes themselves. This has been the biggest violation of the Charter for over eight decades, but the IOC has kept mum.
K.P. MohanCOMMents
COMMents
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