Government suspends IOA for appointing Kalmadi, Chautala

New Delhi : Cracking the whip on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Sports Ministry suspended the Olympic body till the time it reverses the decision to make the scam tainted duo of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala its life presidents.

The government took the firm decision after IOA failed to reply to its showcause notice with the deadline ending at 5 pm on Friday.  The IOA, in turn, had sought 15 days time from the Sports Ministry as its president N Ramachandran is out of the country.

Following the suspension, the IOA will cease to enjoy the privileges and prerogatives bestowed on it by the government as the National Olympic Committee (NOC).

The government was not satisfied with the response of IOA since they have not given any substantive reply especially with regard to the non-eligibility of Kalmadi and Chautala.

The government considers the reply of IOA only as a ploy to buy time.

Kalmadi and Chautala were elevated to the honorary position at the IOA’s Annual General Meeting in Chennai on December 27, shocking the Indian sporting fraternity and leaving the Sports Ministry fuming.

Following the uproar while Kalmadi has declined the offer, Chautala continued to be defiant.

The appointments of the tainted duo also didn’t  go down well within IOA’s own house with former Hockey India chief and newly-appointed International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Narinder Batra today resigning as the Olympic body’s associate vice-president in protest.