New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday put an age cap of 70 years for those seeking to contest elections as office-bearers or members of its Executive Council. The amended constitution was approved at the IOA’s Special General Body Meeting here.
The term of the current IOA headed by PT Usha will end in December.
The age criteria laid down in IOA’s amended constitution is in contrast with the Sports Ministry’s National Sports Governance Act, which states that a person shall be qualified to contest elections to the EC of a National Sports Body provided the person is not over 70 on the last date for filing nomination. The ministry’s provision further allows an office-bearer already elected to hold the post until they turn 75.
The amended IOA Constitution, however, does not retain such an exception. It removes the provision in the existing constitution that allowed a person over 70 to contest or seek nomination if permitted by applicable international charters and statutes.
“IOA has strictly gone by the IOC, which has an age limit of 70 years for office-bearers and the executive body. After 70 years, the person can be inducted in IOC only as an honorary member,” an IOA official said on condition of anonymity.
Under IOA’s amended Article 14.3, “no member will be eligible for an office-bearer post or member of the Executive Council if he/she has attained the age of 70 on the last date of nomination for the relevant election.”
Earlier, this rule was applicable only to office-bearers. It makes a person who has reached 70 on the last date of nomination ineligible for the IOA election.
Three terms before cooling off
The amended provision allows an office-bearer or EC member to serve up to three consecutive terms of four years in the same post before a cooling-off period, compared with two consecutive terms under the existing IOA constitution.
The amended IOA clause says, “No Office Bearer or member of the Executive Council shall be allowed to be elected in the same position for more than three consecutive terms separately, or in combination thereof, as the case may be, without a cooling-off period.”
Under the existing Article 14.4, an office-bearer cannot hold office for more than three terms and no member can hold one or more office-bearer posts for more than two consecutive terms, following which a cooling-off period is required.
The National Sports Governance Act does not prescribe a specific two- or three-term formula, but requires compliance with the International Charters and Statutes and bye-laws relating to age and tenure of the EC.
