Performing ‘derecognised’ bodies not part of ministry’s action plan

NEW DELHI: Sports Minister Vijay Goel is to chair a meeting with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials and representatives of 13 sports federations to discuss the action plan for improving India’s performances in major international meets.

The meeting will be held on September 29.

But the ministry did not invite federations, whose players did the country proud at the Rio Olympics Games, where India won only two medals. All-India Tennis Federation (AITA), Archery Association of India (AAI), Gymnastics and Judo Federation of India have all been ignored as these bodies have been derecognised by the ministry for violating the sports code.

Sania Mirza- Rohan Bopanna came very close of winning a medal in mixed doubles, Dipa Karmakar became the first Indian gymnast to enter the finals in vault – she eventually finished a creditable fourth.

Dipa was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award right after the Olympics. Even archer Atanu Das fought very well in his prequarter-final loss against South Korea’s Seungyun Lee.

While players from all the derecognised federations get the same benefits as those from the recognised bodies, the federations are ignored. Strangely, the ministry has called the representatives of now defunct AIBA’s ad hoc committee, which was given the reigns of boxing after the federation was suspended for infighting. Last Sunday, Spice Jet CEO Ajay Singh and Jay Kowli were elected as president and secretary general of Indian Boxing Federation (IBF), which was sanctioned by AIBA.

“I will only say this that if Sports Authority of India (SAI) can sit with us to discuss the tour programmes of our teams, why can’t the ministry do the same,” AAI treasurer Virendra Sachdeva told HT on Tuesday.