New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association has no jurisdiction whatsoever over elections of the Indian Golf Union, clarified International Golf Federation (IGF), while recognising Brijinder Singh’s panel to be in charge.
Two factions, one led by Singh and the other by Harish Kumar Shetty, are jostling to be in charge of the IGU. They held separate elections and annual general meetings under different returning officers recently.
Retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Rameshwar Malik conducted the elections in which Singh was re-elected while retired Allahabad High Court judge OP Garg oversaw the pills in which Shetty’s faction won.
The IOA recognised the Shetty faction while declaring Singh’s faction void in a letter issued on December 30. The IGF has now said it identified the panel led by Singh, who won elections held on December 15.
“We write to object in the strongest terms to your interference and that of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the recent Annual General Meeting and election of office bearers of our National Federation member, the Indian Golf Union (IGU),” IGF executive director Antony Scanlon wrote in his letter to IOA president PT Usha, as quoted by PTI.
“The IGF have found no reason to question the legitimacy of the IGU Annual General Meeting and election of the office bearers held on 15 December 2024 at Tamarind Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (where Singh was elected president) and believe they were held in accordance with their constitution and the procedures of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
“As such, we recognise and fully support the office bearers announced by the Returning Officer HJ Rameshwar Singh Malik and ratified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. We contend that neither the IOA nor you as President of the IOA has any jurisdiction over the IGU Annual General Meeting nor its electoral process.”
Sports Ministry pulls up IOA too
The Sports ministry has also rapped the IOA for approving Shetty’s faction, which Scanlon said was not constitutional and invalid, also questioning its decision to remove golf from the ongoing National Games roster.
“We find it extraordinary that the IOA would actively undermine the IGU electoral process and facilitate a faction holding a non-constitutional and invalid alternate Annual General Meeting and elections at the premises of the IOA,” Scanlon said.
“Additionally, that your interference then extended to wrongly recognising this faction’s elections and in turn to undermine the credibility of the constitutionally and fairly-elected IGU executive.
“Therefore, the IGF-recognised executive body of the IGU, in accordance with Article 28 of the Olympic Charter, remains the member body for golf affiliated to the IOA. As such to recognise another executive body, not affiliated to the IGF, is in direct contravention of the Olympic Charter. We strongly implore you to immediately rectify this matter.”
IGF executive director Antony Scanlon wrote a letter to IOA president PT Usha, expressing disapproval over unconstitutional interference. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
