New Delhi: In a dramatic development, the IOA’s acting president VK Malhotra and IOC member in India Randhir Singh, on Thursday, pulled out of the crucial meeting with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne next week, apparently miffed with the world body’s changed stance.
Barely six days before the May 15 meeting to find a way for India’s return to the Olympic fold, the pull-out of these two key officials has suddenly put a question mark on the fate of the conclave which is to be attended by a delegation of the Sports Ministry also.
Malhotra and Randhir’s decision to boycott the meeting came a day after the IOC agreed to include Hockey India General Secretary Narinder Batra and Jharkhand Olympic Association RK Anand in the IOA delegation for the meeting, in addition to the four-member list submitted earlier.
In a letter to IOC chief Jacques Rogge, Malhotra informed that he would be withdrawing himself since the world body has started interacting with the suspended IOA.
“As the IOC has changed the script for the Lausanne meeting, I want to inform you that I will not be attending the meeting and also here by withdraw the letter I sent to you on May 3, 2013 naming my delegation,” Malhotra said in the letter.
Malhotra had named a four-member delegation to be led by him for the joint meeting. The other members of the delegation he had named were Tarlochan Singh, S Reghunathan and N Ramachandran.
However, it is learnt that the other members of the delegation will attend the meeting as per schedule.
Randhir had also written a letter to the IOC, expressing his inability to attend the meeting. When asked why he was skipping the meeting, Randhir said, “It’s an internal matter of the IOC. I will discuss it with the IOC president.” (PTI)
