IOC won’t allow India host events till govt guarantees
Olympic body drops qualifying spots for event where Pak shooters were due to compete
NEWDELHI:INDIA faces sporting isolation in terms of hosting international events until the government gives “clear written guarantees” to IOC ensuring the entry of all participants, fully complying with the Olympic Charter.
The IOC Executive Board has withdrawn two of the 16 Olympic qualifying spots (quota places) available in the World Cup, starting here on Saturday, fallout of India denying visas to two Pakistan shooters and their manager over the terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed at least 40 CRPF personnel.
The relief for shooters, Indian and foreign, aiming to earn quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Games, was that only the two quotas in the 25m men’s rapid fire were cancelled. It was the event in which the Pakistan shooters were due to have competed and their federation asked the world body, ISSF, to scrap the quotas.
However, the IOC in a strongly-worded statement issued on Friday, said, “All discussions with the Indian government and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events in India stand suspended.”
On Thursday, top officials of the ISSF and the Indian federation were in discussion with the IOC and government in a bid to resolve the crisis. After the talks failed, the IOC executive board met in Lausanne.
“Since becoming aware of the issue, and in spite of intense lastminute joint efforts by the IOC, the ISSF and the Indian NOC, and discussions with the Indian government authorities, no solution has been found to allow the Pakistani delegation to enter India in time to compete,” the IOC statement read.
“This situation goes against the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter, in particular the principles of non-discrimination, as well as the IOC’S and the Olympic Movement’s position, reiterated on many occasions over the past few years, that equal treatment must be guaranteed for all participating athletes and sporting delegations at international sports events, without any form of discrimination or political interference from the host country.
“As a result, the IOC Executive Board also decided to suspend all discussions with the Indian NOC and government regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events in India, until clear written guarantees are obtained from the Indian government to ensure the entry of all participants in such events in full compliance with the rules of the Olympic Charter – and to recommend that the IFS neither award to nor hold sports events in India until the above-mentioned guar- antees are obtained.”
ISSF president Vladimir Lisin surprised the shooters during Thursday’s opening ceremony when he announced that all 16 Olympic quota places from the World Cup have been scrapped.
However, the IOC restricted the withdrawal of Olympic qualification status to just one event keeping in mind the interest of the other 500 athletes from 61 countries participating in the other events and who are already in the Indian capital.
Last November, during the World Women’s Boxing Championships here, India had denied visa to a boxer from Kosovo, Donjeta Sadiku. The Indian government does not recognise Kosovo, a disputed territory in South Eastern Europe. It led to a warning from IOC which stated “national sports federation must guarantee all athletes and sporting delegations eligible to come and participate, without any undue discrimination or political interference from the host country.” The world boxing body, AIBA, had also warned it would snatch the hosting rights of the 2021 Boxing Men’s World Championships from India.
Since becoming aware, no solution has been found to allow the Pakistani delegation to enter India in time to compete in the World Cup.
HOCKEY QUALIFIERS
Among the most important events India is scheduled to host in the pre-olympic year includesmen’s FIH World Series Finals, in Bhubaneswar from June 6-16. It is an Olympic qualification tournament. The Indian men’s team is yet to book a Tokyo Games berth. The Indian Olympic Association has also expressed interest in bidding for the 2026 Youth Olympics, the 2030 Asian Games and the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.