New Delhi, July 13: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice-president Sudhanshu Mittal has criticised president Narinder Batra for his decision to send ‘tainted’ Madhukant Pathak as the athletics contingent manager to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Pathak, the former treasurer of the 34th National Games Organising Committee, is alleged to have embezzled Rs 28.38 crore when the event was held in Jharkhand in 2011, and had to surrender before a special court in 2018.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mittal said, “As far as people like Madhukant Pathak are concerned, a person who has been jailed for a long period of time, to send them as manager of the athletic team is completely unacceptable. What kind of message you are sending? That people who are involved in sports corruption will now be representing the country. This is perverse.” Mittal said that Pathak’s inclusion had been done at the insistence of the IOA president.
Drawing contrasts between the mother of a sportsperson, who is the manager of the fencing contingent, and Pathak, Mittal said, “Mother (fencer Bhavani Devi’s mother, Sundhararaman Ramani, is the manager of the fencing contingent) has been with the sportsperson for a long time and has been training her. So, sending such people instead of non-technical people, I think it’s a step which should be welcomed.”
Mittal added that the need of the hour is to send more dieticians, sports psychologists, experts in recoveries to cater to the needs of the athletes.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said this was not the time to discuss such things. “I haven’t seen his statement but this is not the time to indulge in such politics. Our efforts now should be aimed at helping our athletes get to Tokyo safely and give their best.” (IANS)
