IOA seeks meeting with Ministry on Sports Code, warns of another suspension by IOC

NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has asked Sports Ministry to initiate a dialogue on proposed changes in the draft Sports Code, with a veiled warning that any unilateral action on the part of the government could invite another suspension of the country by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

IOA President Narinder Batra in an e-mail to the ministry said the government has not held any discussion with it or the National Sports Federations on the draft Sports Code and also cited "a level of mistrust" with regards to past discussions.

He said any chages to the Sports Code also need consent from the International Olympic Committee. "The Ministry had given an affidavit in an ongoing case in Delhi High Court in early 2017 in relation to Draft New Sports Code that it will discuss the draft code with all the stakeholders. Nothing has been done till now in this regard and no discussion has even been initiated with the main stakeholder IOA till date or any other stakeholder," Batra wrote in his letter.

"Indian NOC was de recognized by IOC in 2012 and recognized again in 2014, one of the reasons for this de recognition was interference by Govt in the autonomy of NOC and NSFS of India .... if govt does not want IOA de-recognised again and does not want teams to go to 2020 Tokyo Olympics under IOA flag, then all changes to the code after agreement with IOA will need to have consent from IOC," he said.

Quoting relevant portions of the minutes of the meeting IOA officials had with the then sports secretary in April 2013, Batra said that the revised statutes of IOA in 2014 (when the suspension of the IOA was revoked) had the approval of the Ministry.

"We fail to understand what had changed between 2014 and now that we are again looking at changes in Sports Code," he said.

"Further when P K Deb was Secretary Sports in 2013, we as IOA and NSFS reached an agreement with him and which is minuted, the ministry has till date not taken any action on it, hence there is a level of mistrust as to how much the sanctity of the discussion with ministry can be trusted."

He said the recent Executive Council meeting of the IOA on June 2 had approved a committee to initiate discussion with the Ministry to understand the concerns of the government on the issue of good governance and on where it (the Ministry) feels the NOC and NSFS are still lacking.

"We are very open to understand and resolve the issues. From our main committee we will form a committee of five persons headed by President IOA along with four Senior Members of IOA to initiate and start this dialogue with you and Ministry on concerns of Ministry in relation to Sports Code and Good Governance issues so that we can sit together and resolve these issues amicably.

"Kindly advice on time for meeting with the five members from IOA to discuss on your concerns in Sports Code and to sit together and sort them out in a cordial and amicable manner."

Batra also took swipe at the Sports Ministry for "telling NSFS and SOAS that IOA president was part to drafting of the New Sports Code", saying he was not IOA chief when the committee was formed last year.

"... in fact is not true and correct. I am through this mail requesting your office that all in Ministry and SAI be directed to please stop this spread of misinformation since I was part of this committee as President of FIH and I had nothing to do with NOC of India at that point of time," said Batra who took charge as IOA chief in December last year. MANCHESTER: Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury forced Sefer Seferi to quit after four rounds of a comfortable comeback on Saturday.

The Englishman ended a two-year seven-month exile with an untroubled win over Albania's Switzerland-based Seferi in a non-title bout at the Manchester Arena.

Fury extended his unbeaten record to 26 wins, 19 by knockout, while Seferi suffered his second defeat in 25 fights.

"I felt fantastic, it was like having my debut again," Fury said in the ring.

"I've had a long time out the ring and I needed some rounds, so I was taking my time. The calibre of opponents will keep on rising. I will be better next time."

After the layoff, during which he put on eight stones and suffered from depression, Fury showed he is still in business but it was not fluent until he began swatting his considerably smaller and lighter opponent around the ring in the fourth round. Seferi was seven inches shorter and nearly five stones lighter than Fury, who used his reach and height to ensure there was never any danger of an upset.

Fury, 29, showed few glimpses of the impressive movement around the ring he did in is previous fight when he upset Wladimir Klitschko on points for the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) titles in November 2015.

It was not always pretty from Fury, but it allowed the 6ft 9in Englishman to shed some of the ring rust before moving on to harder tests. Promoter Frank Warren plans on Fury fight- ing again in Belfast, probably at Windsor Park, on August 18. Fury played to the crowd in the first round and looked a bit embarrassed when Seferi tried to rough up the former champion.

Fury's first decent bit of work came at the end of the first round, when he landed a quick combination, but in the second referee Phil Edwards told him off for his conduct.

Seferi did a good job of surviving and Fury struggled to lay a glove on him in the second. Seferi showed some ambition in the third but Fury picked him off with his long arms and heavy blows in the fourth. Fury was into stride and Seferi was pulled out of the fight before the fifth.

Fury has plans to regain his three world titles, now in the possession of English rival Anthony Joshua, and his one potential future opponent could be Germany's Manuel Charr who was ringside. Charr holds the WBA 'regular' belt, a secondary world title, and beat Seferi on points in September 2016.

Joshua and Deontay Wilder, the American who holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt, remain distant targets for Fury as they are in talks to face each other. But just boxing again seemed unlikely at times for Fury during a troublesome period away from boxing.

After twice pulling out of rematches with Klitschko, Fury then admitted problems with mental health, drinking too much and cocaine use before it was revealed he failed a drugs test for the banned steroid nandrolone in February 2015.

Fury was eventually given a backdated two-year ban and in his exile he piled on the pounds. He looked in reasonable shape on his comeback, although still has some weight to lose before his next outing.