Thursday, May 5 2005 20:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association today (May 5, 2005) asked the Centre and the State Governments to withdraw the Ordinances and Bills brought out to regulate sports bodies in recent times and respect the autonomous status of all the sports federations granted to them under the spirit of Olympic charter.

"Being the apex body for sports in the country, the IOA, as well as the State associations, come under the Olympic charter. It is expected that the Central and State Governments respect this status of autonomy and do nothing to interfere with their functioning," IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said in New Delhi.

The States of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh promulgated ordinances last year (2004) while Uttar Pradesh passed a Bill to regulate their respective sports associations.

"These (ordinances and bills) directly interfere with autonomous functioning of the sports bodies, which is a basic of Olympic charter. IOA takes strong exception to any association being formed under these provisions after destabilising the existing unit, they will not be recognised," Kalmadi said.

"We will recognise only such body that is elected as per their constitution without political interferences. In case of any interference, the particular association will ben banned, they cannot take part or host any national events. "We request that the Centre and State Governments take back these ordinances and bills that directly affect the autonomy of the sports associations", Kalmadi said.

"There have been repeated attempts by the Ministry of Sports to bring sports under Concurrent List, a move that is opposed by the International Olympic Council as well as most of the States.

"This is an era of decentralisation, we are moving towards a federal structure. I don't think it will materialise," he said.

Asked if the IOA had woken up late and is acting after lot of water had passed under the bridge, Kalmadi said, "We have taken the course of persuasion. We don't want to have any confrontation."

He said that the ordinances in Rajasthan and HP and the bill brought out in UP targeted cricket but that the IOA cannot be unbothered about the turn of events.

"I had been having discussions on this matter with the various Chief Ministers and spoke to Vasundhara Raje, CM of Rajasthan also. They all have said 'it's nothing to do with the IOA but only cricket'," the IOA president said.

"We don't like a mechanism where sports associations have to report to a Director of Sports Council. It's more to do with cricket but it could affect everyone. Government cannot interfere simply because they don't have the right to control sports."