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Making Kalmadi, Chautala IOA Life Presidents Unacceptable: Vijay Goel

New Delhi: Sports Minister Vijay Goel was ‘shocked at the resolution’ appointing 2010 Commonwealth Games scam-accused and former Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi the life president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Abhay Chautala, another corruption-tainted official, was also made the Life President by the IOA.

“We are shocked at the resolution passed by IOA to make Kalmadi and Chautala life presidents. It is totally unrespectable. We shall review the situation and take necessary action. We have asked for the report… will also talk to the IOA office bearers and take necessary steps (sic),” said Vijay Goel.

Goel said he will seek report on the matter and take ‘action’.

Shocked by SureshKalmadi & AbhayChautala’s appointment as IOA life presidents;both face serious corruption charges,will seek a report+action

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) December 27, 2016

Activist lawyer Rahul Mehra, who was one of the 12 members of a working group that drafted the Sports Bill, called this a dark day for Indian sports.

Mehra said that there was not a single credible voice left in the IOA and requested the courts and sports ministry to step in.

“There is a process of transformation that took place because the IOA was disqualified by the International Olympic Committee after Abhay Chautala contested the IOA elected despite being chargesheeted. And after the entire cleansing took place, these people are circumventing the law to get back to positions of power,” said Mehra.

Mehra called this a ‘shameful act and the biggest betrayal of the Indian sports fan,” Mehra said.

Former Indian hockey captain Rajpal Singh told News18.com that such things will keep happening till the time sportspersons don’t get elected to federations.

“Whenever a sportsperson has tried to contest elections, they haven’t found any support. Even the great Chanakya said that good people need to come forward and enter politics, otherwise the bad will continue to rule the good,” the Arjuna-awardee said.