Yet to toe national code, IGU risk isolation

NEWDELHI: Ever since the National Sports Development Code of India came into effect on 31 January, 2011, the Indian Golf Union (IGU) has been in violation. Unless it acts fast, golfers could miss out on the Asian Games at Jakarta in August 2018 as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has threatened to derecognise golf’s governing body in India.

Trouble was brewing for a while as several reminders from the union sports ministry to amend the rules had gone unheeded.

Even the letter on February 23, 2017 --- addressed to the president and secretary-general of the IOA and presidents and secretarygenerals of all national sports federations (NSFs) --- calling for a compliance report within a month of receipt, too went unanswered by the IGU.

Perhaps, it was this resistance to change that led IOA secretarygeneral, Rajeev Mehta, to write to the IGU president, Wg Cdr Satish Aparajit (retd), on September 6, 2017 to “amend the constitution in consonance with the basic guidelines followed by NSFs affiliated to IOA before conducting the next AGM and confirm it in next 45 days or failure of which shall result in necessary actions”.

The IGU AGM and elections, slated for October 17, when the new president was to take charge, have been postponed to November.

But even then time is short for the rules can be amended. Asked during the press conference of the Women’s Indian Open last week, Aparajit refused to comment but confirmed that “IGU was committed to amending the rules”. Contacted by Hindustan Times on Monday, Mehta said he was “out of town and could comment only after going through the file”.

If the IOA does derecognize the IGU, it will set in motion a chain reaction. The sports ministry could well follow suit, jeopardising golfers’ participation in the Asian Games, government grants (funds) will stop and the IGU will not be able to send teams under the Indian flag for any international tournament. Since the way back into the IOA’s fold could take time and golf being an Olympic sport, the 2020 Olympics could also be affected.

Hindustan Times has learnt that in a rearguard action, IGU treasurer Ishwar Achanta has drawn up a draft, which he claimed “largely conformed to the National Sports Code”. It will be placed before the IGU Council soon, and if approved, will be sent to the ministry.

IGU’s long-standing argument that the uniqueness of the sport, wherein affiliation is granted to member clubs instead of state bodies, too has been shot down by the IOA.

Mehta wrote in his letter, “The governance of NSFs is one and the same for all sports and the IGU cannot be considered an exception owing to a distinction in governance at the local level.”

This has left the IGU with no option but to fall in line.