Kalamdi, NSFs refuse Sports Ministry's 'draconian' dictat

With just five months left for the Commonwealth Games to kick off, the stand-off between the Sports Ministry and the various National Federations (NSFs) took another dramatic turn when the top bosses of the sports bodies in the country challenged the authority of the Government to impose ''draconian'' restrictions over their functioning. Yesterday, the Sports Ministry had ruled that the heads of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and NSFs cannot remain in their posts for more than 12 years or beyond the age of 70.

But IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, who came out in full strength with the top officials of the NSFs, today made it clear that the Ministry's directives will not be obeyed and said they would ''do everything to protect their autonymy.'' Kalamdi, who himself has been occupying the post of IOA chief for the last 14 years, said the timing of the directive was not right and the Sports Ministry does not have a right to derecognise any of the Federations or the IOA.

''It is the IOA which sends the team to Olympics, Commonwealth, Asian and South Asian Games as it is the one and not the Sports Ministry which receives the invites from the international body.

''As far as National Federations are concerned, they are a state subject and are affiliated and recognised by the International Sports Federations and the IOA,'' Kalmadi told mediapersons here.

''Just over 150 days are left for the Commonwealth Games to begin and the Co-ordination Commission is here. So, the timing of this directive from the Sports Ministry is just not correct and it will send a very wrong message to the world,'' he noted.