The Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association (APOA) faction led by former MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and Jagadishwar Yadav defied the diktat of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) by holding meetings and preparing for elections in both the States after bifurcation, according to Andhra Pradesh Volleyball Association president S. Kodandaramaiah here on Saturday.
Speaking to mediapersons, he said the elections slated on April 19 (Sunday) at Hyderabad will not have any validity as no IOA observer will be attending the elections. “The earlier body suppressed an important letter from the IOA sent on April 29, 2014. The IOA governs sports and games in the country as per the rules of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As we have already received affiliation from the IOA for our Tirupati elections on April 4, we will be function as the APOA in the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh,” he added.
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He said the first executive council meeting of the APOA will be held at Guntur (Hotel Mourya) on Sunday which will be attended by Guntur MP and association president Jayadev Galla. “Other members such as former Minister K.E. Prabhakar, R.K. Purushotham, Amar Kumar Chukkapalli, S.M. Sultan and A. Ramana Rao will be attending the meeting.”
Mr. Kodandaramaiah said the rivals were playing a mind game by spreading wrong news in media. “Telugu Desam Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh is talking without any sports knowledge. We will not agree for any compromise,” he asserted.
Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association secretary K.Ch. Punnaiah Chowdary agreed that an effort was made a couple days ago by a senior politician from the Krishna district for a truce between the warring groups.
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“The sports fraternity is fed up of the earlier panel. They did not do anything for the development of sports and for the welfare of sportsmen. We will strive for a new beginning and our first effort will be present a document to the IOA to get its nod for holding National Games in A.P.”
He said that the rival panel resorted to a cheap trick by impersonating the signature of a petition filed against the newly-formed APOA at a Guntur court. “The judge has ordered an enquiry into the episode.”
As we have already received affiliation from the IOA for our Tirupati elections on April 4, we will be function as the APOA in the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh
S. Kodandaramaiah
President, Andhra Pradesh Volleyball Association