Just days following harsh criticism from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), this week the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) made key moves in an attempt to put the Ahmedabad 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid back on track.
Most notably the IOA Executive Council resolved a monthslong conflict with its president P.T. Usha over the appointment last year of CEO Raghuram Iyer. According to a report from Press Trust of India, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya intervened resulting in the Executive Council finally ratifying the CEO’s appointment that it had contested due to what was considered an overly generous compensation package.
Last October the IOC reprimanded the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on the dispute and cited poor governance for the suspension of solidarity payments, a revenue sharing package designed to support athletes and sport programs. Earlier this month the IOC’s Future Host Commission reiterated the concerns during a high level meeting between Indian and Olympic officials in Lausanne, Switzerland and warned the bid would be at risk.
Iyer’s confirmation should help appease the IOC and may help restart payments.
During the meeting the IOC also highlighted the nation’s poor anti-doping record and the lackluster performance at past Olympic Games.
Immediately following Iyer’s ratification he announced the formation of a seven-member anti-doping panel that will investigate and improve testing methods and roll out an education program targeting all athletes from grassroots to elite, as well as coaches and the entire support staff.
The IOA also reversed its position on the recently tabled national sports bill that it had originally opposed. Intended to create a National Sports Board to manage the recognition and funding of federations, the IOC was concerned that the bill would threaten the autonomy of sports in India with the new government intermediary according to Usha.
“The new National Sports Bill should not be seen as intervention from the Sports ministry but as cooperation and coordination with stakeholders including IOA and NSFs (National Sports Federations),” IOA joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey said according to PTI.
The new legislation is aimed to improve sports education, infrastructure and other support to help young athletes achieve success. A program will launch on India’s National Sports Day, August 29, to encourage 10 million youth to participate in sports.
Newly elected IOC president Kirsty Coventry recently paused the bid process for review, a move that will likely give interested candidates more time to prepare for a 2036 run.
This week Doha in Qatar officially launched its 2036 bid sending a clear signal that it intends to fight hard to win after two failed attempts for 2016 and 2020. India has been seen as the favorite in the race due to its early start.
Other places known to be interested in hosting in 2036 include Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Nusantara in Indonesia, Santiago in Chile, Egypt and North Jeolla, South Korea. European contenders include Germany, Istanbul, Budapest, Barcelona and Madrid.
Before 2019 bid reforms, cities were elected seven years in advance, but now there is no fixed timetable for choosing hosts. The LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 host contracts were signed 11 years ahead of the Games. The new working group formed by Coventry is set to re-evaluate the timing in the bid process.
