NEW DELHI: Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Thursday met International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and promised him of the country’s commitment to clean sports, saying the ministry has zero tolerance for substance abuse or cheating.
A delegation of IOC, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) called on Rathore for a meeting that lasted one hour. Both sides discussed matters relating to sports promotion and development, good governance and how to further strengthen relations with international sports bodies.
On the matter of governance, more specifically the proposed Sports Code that the Centre was attempting to introduce to bring in accountability into the running of national sports federations (NSFs), Bach said the IOC could mediate on the vexed issue by constituting a four-partite working group.
The group will have representatives from the IOC, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), IOA and the ministry, Times of India reports.
“The IOC has made its contribution by offering the expertise to find a solution for good governance and autonomy in accordance to the Olympic charter. I am sure a good solution will come to us in this respect,” TOI quotes Bach as having said.
IOA president Narinder Batra assured the government of all support in matters of good governance, transparency and in implementing the Sports Code and said there would be no compromise on good governance matters.
Rathore also mentioned that the success of the recently-concluded Khelo India School Games gave him the encouragement to organize such competitions in the future at college and university levels as well, so that talent can be spotted and nurtured at the earliest age possible.
“…government with the help of Indian Olympic Association has prepared a Sports Code to bring transparency in functioning of the national sports federations (NSFs), fair selection of players for competitions and accountability for proper utilization of funding to sports bodies by the government,” the Sports Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry claimed that Bach was approving of the initiatives taken by the Indian government to bring transparency and good governance in sports.
