Government to respect Olympic charter

With the opposing parties in the “guidelines tussle” all but going back to square one, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that the Government of India had agreed and committed itself to “respect the autonomy of the Olympic movement in India” during the talks in Lausanne on June 18.

The IOC also noted that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had agreed to implement the basic principles of good governance in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

In response to a query from T

he Hindu on Friday, the Head of the IOC Media Relations, Emmanuelle Moreau, stated the IOC was closely monitoring the situation in India and would remain ‘vigilant to ensure that the Olympic Charter is respected'.

Ms. Moreau also stated that the IOA had started undertaking the revision of its statutes to fall in line with the principles of good governance. “The process is ongoing and is expected to be finalised very soon.”

Since the Lausanne meeting involving Government representatives and officials of the IOC and the IOA, the parties concerned have continued to adopt tough postures, with the Government contending that nothing had changed and the guidelines would remain and the IOA stating that there would be no question of any guideline being imposed. — Special Correspondent