HOA (Chautala) disaffiliates District Olympic Associations

Chandigarh, May 14 (UNI) Keeping in view the guidelines of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Haryana Olympic Association (Abhey Chautala Group) today disaffiliated all District Olympic Association (DOA) presidents and secretaries who are ex-officio members of the HOA.

This important decision was taken in the general body meeting of the HOA held here.

Announcing the decision after the meeting, HOA president Abhey Singh Chautala told a press conference that the matter was placed before the members for consideration. The decision to disaffiliate the ex-officio members of the DOAs was adopted and passed unanimously.

Mr Chautala claimed that out of 153 members of HOA , 103 were present in the meeting.

A three-member committee comprising G S Ghelot, president of the Haryana Volleyball Association, Puran Singh Dabra, president of the Haryana Wightlifting Association and Bhupinder Singh, treasurer of the HOA, has been formed to supervise the elections of the presidents and secretaries of the DOAs.

Mr Chautala said that IOA vide their letter dated February 19, 2005 had issued directions to all National Sports Federations and all State Olympic Associations affiliated to it to ensure that no ex-officio appointments were held in any federation/associations or in any unit affiliated with the State Olympic Associations.

''Since all the DOAs are headed by ex-officio by the concerned Deputy Commissioners as presidents and District Sports Officers as secretaries, the HOA on September 30, last year sought comments from the DOAs presidents and secretaries, but despite repeated reminders no commuincations were received'',he added. Therefore the matter was placed before the house which decided to disaffiliate the DOAs and start election process at the earliest, he added.

The other group of the HOA is headed by Congress MP Naveen Jindal, who became president last week after 'dislodging' the Chautala group. The Chautala group has refused to recognise the Jindal group and has claimed that the election of Mr Jindal as HOA chief had no locus standi as it was against the guidelines laid down by the IOA.

UNI XC HS DH BD1653