IOA feud: PT Usha calls SGM to address CEO appointment, corruption charge against treasurer

Embattled Indian Olympic Association President P T Usha has called a Special General Meeting of the body on October 25 to address contentious issues, including the appointment of CEO Raghuram Iyer, complaints of corruption against treasurer Sahdev Yadav and the alleged ineligibility of some Executive Council members to hold office.

Usha has been at loggerheads with a majority of EC members on all these issues. Iyer's appointment is the most talked about issue as it is being aggressively resisted by EC members on account of his pay package and suitability for the job.

"All these issues are extraordinary and emergent in nature and require the participation of the House so that an effective decision is taken...In this regard I am convening a Special General Meeting of the IOA to be held on 25th October 2024 at the IOA Bhawan at 11AM," the sprint great wrote in an email to office-bearers and other stakeholders.

"The SGM shall be a hybrid meeting as per Article 8.3 of the Constitution of the IOA. Those who are unable to join the meeting physically, can join the meeting through Webex for which the online link would be available on the website of the IOA," she added.

The call for this meeting comes after Usha had another heated confrontation with the EC on September 26 after a majority of its members reiterated their opposition to Iyer's appointment as CEO, the formal ratification of which is still pending.

As per the agenda of the SGM, his appointment will be put to a vote on whether his selection stands "finalised by the Nomination Committee as per Article 15.3.1 of the Constitution" or the IOA EC has the "power to reject" the process.

Usha has warned that CEO is vital for the smooth operation of the association.

"The delay and denial by some members of the EC in accepting this appointment is affecting our governance and international standing...

"...this has the potential to cause significant disruption to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji's vision of hosting the summer Olympic Games 2036 in India," she stated.

Before joining the IOA, Iyer had worked as CEO of IPL sides Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants . He also held administrative roles in football's Indian Super League and Ultimate Table Tennis.

Apart from Iyer, the other issues on the agenda would be alleged ineligibility of some EC members to hold their positions. The anonymous complaint has claimed that they are in violation of the National Sports Code which places a cap on the age and tenure of office-bearers.

The EC comprises senior vice president Ajay H Patel, vice presidents RajLaxmi Deo and Gagan Narang, treasurer Sahdev Yadav, joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, other Executive Council members Amitabh Sharma, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, Rohit Rajpal, Dola Banerjee, Yogeshwar Dutt, joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey and Harpal Singh.