The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday suspended the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) for its repeated failure to abide by the constitution and
rules set by the apex body. This is the biggest shame and embarrassment
possible for the largest and most populated democracy of the world. And
ironically this comes just after India’s best ever haul of medals in
London Olympics 2012. The decision renders India disqualified to participate
in any major international sports events and of course in the Olympics. India now have the unique distinction of sharing
the shame with Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Such was the
rampant lobbying, corruption and colossal disregard to both national and
international decorum in the sports bodies of India in general over the years
that this huge embarrassment was in fact anticipated by many. Politics,
personal ambitions and corruption have been the distinctive features of the
Indian sports bodies, particularly the IOA. Even after the scam of the
Commonwealth Games 2012 Delhi
the tainted IOA officials did not feel shamed, few of them served jail terms
too. But they went about their ‘sports’ business blatantly and
shamelessly. 
Suresh Kalmadi, the then
IOA president, who spent nearly a year in a Delhi jail acted as nothing had happened and got
appointed as president again coming straight out of jail. He was trying for
reelection again this year, but other tainted people finally beat him to it in
an election decided by the IOA unilaterally and supposedly adhering to a sports
code imposed by the Government. It is pity that the Government of India and the
Sports Minister never succeed in putting its foot down on such authorities
‘autonomously enabled to loot’. In this shameful hour Indian citizens expect
ruthless measures from the Government to end the malaise once and for all.
Olympic
medalists and sportsmen all over the country expressed shock and unanimously
held the corrupt officials and their personal profit driven strategy
responsible for the shame. Many of them also feared that their sports careers
with the Indian tag are as good as over. However, all of them and other
citizens too looked upon this shame as motive enough to set things right and
end the corruption. We too endorse this and want all sports bodies to be
totally revamped so that Indian sportsmen come out of their clutch and show the
world what they always have been capable of achieving.
