Ashwini Nachappa says IOA's constitutional amendment is an eyewash

Just a day after news emerged that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has made changes to its constitution which would prevent tainted persons from contesting elections, Clean Sports India (CSI) has come out and said that the entire exercise from the IOA was an eyewash.

Former athlete Ashwini Nachappa, and president of CSI, says that there is a provision which allows these officials to return after being cleared by an ‘ethics commission’.

“IOA is trying make IOC believe that they have followed the ultimatum of the IOC and the two tainted office bearers will be removed as a direct impact. However, by referring the case to the IOA’s very own Ethics commission that can give a clean chit to tainted members using the representation of peoples’ act, it seems that this clause is ineffective,” Nachappa, an Olympian, said in a statement.

On Sunday, the IOA heeded the call of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being threatened with de-recognition and went ahead and made changes to the constitution in its Special General Body Meeting on Sunday.

The newly added clause said: “Where charges have been framed by any court in India, in respect of an offence which is of serious nature under Indian Penal Code/Prevention of Corruption Act in which punishment of imprisonment of more than 2 years is prescribed then the member/office bearer/member of executive council of IOA will resign immediately and if not they will be provisionally suspended and will not be eligible to contest in elections and the case will be referred to IOA Ethics Commission for further guidance”.

This issue was raised by Nachappa as she launched a scathing attack on the IOA saying that they had no intention to clean up sports administration in the country.

“….it is quite clear that the current general body of the IOA is still standing by the tainted duo who may even decide to nominate proxy candidates for the next election while they themselves get their clean chits and make their return,” she added.

Nachappa said the tainted officials must be cleared of all charges by the courts and not their ethics commission.

“Therefore I request you to kindly take note of the last sentence of the amendment and ensure that unless the court clears the concerned officials of all its charges he or she shall not be allowed to contest the elections nor be part of the Olympic movement.” , added Nachappa.

“This rider adopted in their clause only goes to show the extent to which they would go to fool all of us and months of effort put in to clean up the system by you, us and the ministry would go wasted,” she added.