New Delhi. Delhi High Court has directed the setting up of a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to take over the affairs of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). A bench of Justices Manmohan and Najmi Waziri said the persistent recalcitrance of the IOA to comply with the Sports Code made it imperative that its affairs be put in the hands of the COA comprising former Supreme Court judge Justice Anil R. Dave, former Chief Election Commissioner Dr SY Quraishi, and former Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup.
The court directed the executive committee of IOA to forthwith hand over the charge to the newly appointed committee. The apex court said that the members of the CoA will be assisted by three eminent sportspersons, namely, Shooter Olympian Abhinav Bindra, Long Jump Olympian Anju Bobby George, and Archer Olympian Bombayla Devi Laishram. The IOA is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the National Olympic Committee for India.
The court struck down the post of Life President and any such permanent post for an individual in the IOA for being illegal. It said that the maximum term for the President and likewise to all Office Bearers and members of the EC has to be limited to 3 tenures as per the law.
