IOA agrees to IOC's demand, India back in Olympic fold

, May 15: The Indian Olympic Association (

) has agreed to the demand of the International Olympic Committee (

) to hold fresh annual general meeting (AGM) and elections. Accordingly, the December 5 elections will be declared null and void, nullifying the election of Lalit Bhanot.

Reports said that the General Assembly of the IOA will be formed within a month and the fresh elections will be held under the supervision of the Election Commission.

Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra was part of the crucial meeting which took place at Lausanne in Switzerland.

The IOA had given much importance to the crucial meeting with the IOC to draw a roadmap for India's return to the Olympic fold. Most of the delegates left for the meeting on May 13 although IOA Acting President V K Malhotra and IOC Member in India Randhir Singh decided to boycott the meeting after the IOC agreed to include Jharkhand Olympic Association R K Anand and Hockey India General Secretary Narinder Batra in the IOA team, besides the four existing members.

The meeting was attended by Sports Minister Jitendra Singh, Sports Secretary P K Deb, Olympian sailor Malav Shroff besides Bindra.

It was the first time that the IOC and IOA met to discuss, a good five months after the country was suspended for failing to adhere to the Olympic Charter.

The IOC had suspended the IOA at its Executive Board meeting in Lausanne last December, apparently for overlooking its warning against organising its elections under the National Sports Code.

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