may.23.2010
India's Government have been warned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to respect the autonomy of the country's sports federations or risk facing sanctions, including being banned from the London 2012 Olympics.
Randhir Singh, the secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), revealed that he had received a letter from the IOC following the announcement by Sports Minister M.S Gill that officials would have the length of time they can serve in their positions limited.
Singh, a member of the IOC, told The Times of India: "The IOC is watching and if anything happens or any of their clauses is disturbed, then we are in trouble."
Singh, who has held his position for 23 years and is an IOC member, released details of the letter from Lausanne.
"Public authorities must respect the autonomy of the organisations of the Olympic sports Movement, and must in no way intervene in or interfere with the internal affairs of these organisations," the letter said.
Gill wants Presidents of sports federations, including the IOA, limited to 12 years while a secretary or a treasurer can serve two terms of four years each but will have to take a four-year break before seeking re-election.
Suresh Kalmadi, the President of the IOA, who will have held his position for 16 years by the time he is due to re-election after London in 2012, is another who will be affected by the new rule.
Also, anyone over the age of 70 will not be eligible to continue in their posts.
A copy of the letter, which has been signed by Miro Pere, the IOC's director of National Olympic Committees (NOCs), has also been sent to Jacques Rogge, the President of the IOC.
It makes it quite clear that Governments should not interfere in the running of sport in any country.
"The National Olympic Committee’s (NOC) internal operations, decision-making mechanisms, holding of meetings, election arrangements, etc. all come under the exclusive responsibility and competence of the NOC, in accordance with the NOC statutes and the Olympic Charter, and must not be subject to any external pressure or interference," it says.
"The same principles also apply for the national sports federations which shall establish their specific internal procedures in their own statutes, in accordance with the regulations of their respective international sports federations to which they are affiliated."
The letter also draws attention to the Olympic Charter, which says: "The officers and members of the executive body of an NOC shall be elected in accordance with the NOC’s statutes, for a term of office not exceeding four years; they may be eligible for re-election."
Piro warns of the consequences if the IOC suspect political interference.
"This might regrettably expose the NOC and the Olympic Movement in India to the protective measures and potential sanctions provided in the Olympic Charter," the letter says.
Singh said: "If a sanction comes, India would not be able to participate in Olympic Games as well as international events."
The IOC has previously suspended several countries when they believe that the Government is interfering, most notably Iraq which nearly kept their competitors out of the Beijing Olympics.
A row with the IOC could also seriously jeopardise a proposed bid from New Delhi for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and would overshadow the Commonwealth Games, which are due to open in the Indian capital on October 3.
Gill, though, was unmoved by the IOC letter and defended his position.
He said: "I can’t help it if [sports officials] they want to be in their posts for 23, 33 or 43 years... till the end of time.
"We are trying to introduce the best practices, the norms followed across the world.
"Our guidelines have taken a leaf out of the IOC regulations.
"The federations must respect it."