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Archery
Sports Ministry moves Supreme Court seeking fresh elections in Archery Association of India
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has now filed a 14-page affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that the fresh elections held by the Archery Association of India remain void due to its non-compliance with the National Sports Code. Fresh elections were held in December 22, 2018 after the national body for the sport had been derecognised by the World body. On January 22, World Archery did issue a statement to this effect:
At this time, the Archery Association of India is recognised as a World Archery member in good standing and no penalty or suspension has been instigated.World Archery secretary general Tom Dielen said: “India is a promising archery region and it is imperative that we build a strong federation that will realise its potential going forward. As such, we will not rush this process but work towards a stable long-term outcome.” “World Archery has the interests of Indian athletes as its priority throughout this period and will put paramount importance on ensuring that those athletes’ preparations for the Olympic Games in Tokyo are not interrupted as a result of administrative uncertainty.”The Sports Ministry on their part have now asked for fresh elections to be held for Archery Association of India. They also mentioned to the Court that, if after due process the recognition of AAI was withdrawn or withheld by World Archery, no Indian archer would be able to compete in any international tournament held under the jurisdiction of the World body. The two main objections that the sports minitry had put forth is the part of the AAI Constitution that bars office bearers from being public servants and the AAI giving voting rights to associate members to vote at general council meetings. Here the deviations of the AAI elections from the National Sports Code according to the affidavit submitted. (Source: TOI)
- AAI Constitution: No office bearer shall be a public servant; the sports code says there is no such restriction on public servants to be members of any NSF which work in autonomous conditions.
- Amended AAI Constitution says associate members shall be entitled to one vote at the general council, NSDC specifies associate members as having no voting rights during the election of any office bearer of an NSF/IOA during a general council meeting.
- AAI Constitution says that no office bearer can hold office in any other IOA affiliated NSF except the IOA itself, Sports code provides no restrictions on holding offices in NSFs or state bodies simultaneously.
- AAI Constitution saus that each member state shall have two votes with every associate member having one. The sports code states that only States and Union Territories affiliated to the National State Federation in question can vote in the general council elections.
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