IOA chief Usha issues notice to treasurer Yadav following complaint of sports code violation

Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha has issued a show cause notice to the body's Treasurer Sahdev Yadav following a complaint that his election violates the country's National Sports Code.

In a letter dated September 10, Usha asked Yadav to give his reply by September 24.

"I am writing to you to bring to your attention a formal complaint that the Indian Olympic Association has recently received concerning your eligibility to contest the position of Treasurer in the last elections.

"The complainant cites a ruling from Hon'ble High Court, which, according to the complainant, raises concerns about your eligibility to stand for election," Usha wrote in her letter to Yadav.

A copy of the letter has also been marked to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and International Olympic Committee's Associate Director of NOC (National Olympic Committee) Relations Department Jerome Poivey.

It has been alleged that Yadav and some other officials are continuing in office in violation of the age and tenure cap set by the sports code, which makes it mandatory for them to step aside after 12 consecutive years in office.

Yadav has been a former secretary of the Indian Weightlifting Federation and has been on its board for 15 years.

The complainant has raised similar concerns on non-adherence of the Sports Code against other members of the IOA including National Rifle Association vice-president Ajay Patel, Wushu Federation of India's Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, and Rowing Federation of India president Rajlakshmi Singh Deo among others.

The complainant, whose identity has been withheld by the IOA, has demanded immediate removal of these individuals from the IOA executive committee.

The development adds to the ongoing turf war within the IOA.

Usha has been at loggerheads with the body's Executive Council members from earlier this year, stating that they were trying to sideline her by their acts of defiance, including issuing termination letters to an official appointed by her.

This was after a majority of EC members had claimed that they had signed a suspension order declaring Raghuram Iyer's appointment as IOA CEO in January as null and void.

The EC members also claimed that they had "terminated" Ajay Narang from the post of executive assistant to IOA president.

Usha had acknowledged the receipt of the termination letter served to Narang by the EC members but rejected it as "absolute nullity".