IOC vows to help India for Tokyo INDIA TO BID FOR MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS, SAYS IOA PRESIDENT
PLEDGE IOC boss Thomas Bach offers expertise to aid India’s medal hopefuls for 2020 Olympics
NEW DELHI: International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach’s visit to India has come at a time when the country is celebrating its success at the Commonwealth Games and looking at the Tokyo Olympics with optimism.
To tap ‘India’s potential’ in the Olympic sport, IOC has decided to help with its expertise to prepare the country’s medal hopefuls for the 2020 Games.
Bach informed that during a meeting with sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra in the morning, it was decided that a working group would be formed to bring in international expertise on sports science and coaching to help Indian athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.
“My visit could not have come at a better time. I congratulate IOA and Indian athletes for the grand success they achieved at the Commonwealth Games with 66 medals. The athletes have set a great example and sent a strong signal of their potential,” Bach, on a whirlwind two-day tour to India, said on Thursday while addressing the media.
“We hope India will be able to tap into its great potential, win as many medals with a strong performance at the Olympic stage. The IOC today met the executive board of the IOA under Mr Batra, and also had a meeting with the sports minister. We have discussed the issue and made an offer, which has been accepted by the IOA and the sports minister.
“We have decided to form a working group with IOC, Olympic Council of Asia, IOA and the sports ministry to devise a road map where the most hopeful athletes from India will be best prepared for 2020 Tokyo Olympics with international expertise at their disposal.
“We have offered assistance and co-operation to the IOA to help in the matter of sports science, coaching, etc. I think it is a good initiative for the athletes of India and we are hopeful of seeing excellent results.”
GOOD GOVERNANCE
IOA has been at loggerheads with the ministry over the ‘autonomous’ functioning of the National Sports Federations. There is also constant tussle between IOA and the ministry over the Sports Code.
The IOC chief said the sports minister made a reference to practices of good governance and transparency in the federations and here also the international body has offered its expertise to see that ‘nobody crosses the line’ and the Olympic charter is honoured.
“Autonomy and good governance are two sides of the same coin. It is important to recognise the autonomy of the sports bodies or else there will be no international support and you cannot have fair competition. We are pleased with the firm com- mitment of Mr Batra and the IOA to make good governance a priority. The government too has to respect the rights of a sports organisation, in a way that both have to go together.
“IOC has offered to put its expertise at the disposal of the ministry and IOA and to find a solution in line with the Olympic charter and IOC good governance. It has been accepted by both IOA and Ministry. I am hopeful of a good solution and happy with the resolution.”
DOPING FIGHT
Asked about India’s poor track record in doping and whether the issue was raised at the meeting with the IOA and sports minister, Bach said: “There has been clear and firm commitment from the minister that fair and clean sports is their top priority and it’s a commitment shared by the IOA too. I am confident that this issue will be addressed in a proper way.” NEW DELHI: With IOC chief Thomas Bach present, Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra said the national body planned to bid for major international sporting events, including 2032 Olympics. Batra said India will be interested in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympics, 2030 Asian Games and 2032 Olympics. “We will be bidding for these events,” he said.
Bach said there was still time for the candidature process for these major events to open. He said India had a great potential with respect to organising elite sports events. “We hope and wish India is able to tap the potential in sport with regard to success of athletes, and with regard to organising sporting events. There is no doubt organising sporting events promote sports in a country. India one day can organise great Olympic Games,” Bach said.
WARY GOVERNMENT
Since the 2010 Commonwealth Games fiasco, central governments have been tight-lipped about backing mega sports events in the country. Batra’s predecessor N Ramachandran had also urged the government to set a process in place for hosting the 2030 Asian Games followed by the 2032 Olympics.
However, sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore recently said he doesn’t ‘foresee’ India hosting major sporting events in the immediate future.
The hosts for the next two Olympics have been decided. Paris will host the 2024 Olympics and Los Angeles the 2028 Games.
There is still a long time for the bidding process for the 2032 Olympics to roll on. Asked whether IOC can speak to organisers of the 2022 Commonwealth Games to reinstate shooting, Batra said it does not fall under its domain. He however said IOA will take up the matter with the Commonwealth Games Federation.
We have offered assistance and cooperation to the IOA to help in the matter of sports science, coaching, etc. I think it is a good initiative for the athletes THOMAS BACH, IOC president