New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) India Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general Randhir Singh Tuesday maintained that the government will have to respect the autonomy of the sports federations and that they have the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the matter.
The sports ministry and sports federations have been at loggerheads over the government reviving its 35-year old guidelines restricting the tenure of officials. The sports bodies have rejected it outright, saying it is a violation of their democratic and independent existence and violates the Olympic charter.
The representatives of the sports ministry and the IOA met at Lausanne, Switzerland, last week where IOC brokered peace between the two.
‘Our autonomy cannot be infringed, it has to be respected. Even Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Michael Fennell, who was here few days ago, backed us,’ Singh said in a press meet. ‘There is no victory or defeat in this matter.’
‘We had a very good meeting at Lausanne (Switzerland). The IOC made it very clear that the autonomy of the National Olympic Committees cannot be infringed. The IOC’s constitution has to be respected and they would be monitoring the situation in India.’
Singh also believed that NOCS and the government should work together.
‘I think the the NOCs and the government should work together,’ he said.
