Sports Ministry lifts ban on IOA

Suresh Kalmadi has been associated with sports administration from his young days.

Kalmadi served as the President of Indian Olympic Association from 1996-2012.

He was also the president of Asian Athletics Association during 2000 and 2013 and was a council member of International Athletics Federation (IAAF) from 2001 to 2013.

In 1980, he held selection trails for marathon-runners to represent India at Moscow Olympics.

Suresh Kalmadi was the Chairman of organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, New Delhi and was arrested by the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) for financial irregularities.

Pleading non-guilty, Kalmadi was sent to jail for 10 months before being released in January 2012.

Kalmadi was also accused of favoring his son's company for giving contracts to build Formula 1 stadium in Noida.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA), on Tuesday, elected Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as its Life Presidents.

Both Kalmadi and Chautala are the main accused of the 2010 CWG scam and are being probed by the CBI for corruption charges.

The decision to elect them as the life presidents was unanimously taken at the IOA's Annual General Meeting in Chennai.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said that they will not be replying to the Sports Ministry's show cause notice on appointment of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as its Life Presidents.

A top IOA official said that they would consult International Olympic Committee (IOC) before replying to the notice.

The Sports Ministry had asked IOA to reply to the show-cause by 30 December.

Sports Minister Vijay Goel said on Friday that Indian Olympic Committee has been suspended until the body reverses its decision of appointing Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as Life Presidents.

IOA has asked for an extension of 15 days to reply to the show cause notice sent by the Sports Ministry asking for explanation about appointments of Kalmadi and Chautala.

The Indian Olympic Association has cancelled the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as the life presidents.

The decision came after a backlash from the Sports Ministry of India and also to avoid any action from the International Olympic Committee.

A top IOA official said, "Kamaldi and Chautala are no longer part of IOA and have nothing to do with IOA."

The Sports Ministry has hinted at re-recognizing the Indian Olympic Association after it removed Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as its life presidents.

In a statement, sports minister Vijay Goel said that while the ministry is happy with the decision, they look forward to partnering with IOA for betterment of sports in the country, thus hinting on revoking the suspension.

The Sports Ministry of India has lifted the ban on Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today.

The decision came three days after IOA cancelled the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as its life presidents.

IOA was suspended by the ministry after they refused to reply to the show-cause notice on the appointments of Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents.