New Delhi:
Claiming that the sports bosses are out to sabotage Olympic movement in the country to protect their interest, former Olympians and athletes on Tuesday wrote an open letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge, requesting him to keep a watch on the National Sports Federations (NSFs) in India.
Former hockey captain Pargat Singh and athletes of the yesteryear including Vandana Rao, Ashwini Nachappa, Reeth Abraham, Sunita Godara and Sriram Singh were among those who wrote a letter to the International Olympic Committee chief, drawing his attention to the "serious threat to the very foundation of values of sports."
"During the last few decades, a certain section have been using sports as a vehicle to gain political power and to satisfy their greed, keeping sportspersons as mere bystanders," alleged the sportspersons who will also address a press conference in the capital tomorrow to launch 'Clean Sports India' movement.
"The worst (part) is that these self-appointed sports politicians of India think and openly talk that only they can manage sports, and not sportspersons like us," they alleged.
Training guns on Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi and Archery Association of India (AAI) chief VK Malhotra, they said, "They meticulously ensure that no sportsperson comes anywhere near decision-making bodies of sports federations...They are misusing the principle of 'autonomy' of Olympic Movement for their personal ends."
"Indian sports has become a vehicle for his (Kalmadi) power and glory," they alleged.
NSF chiefs are already under pressure because of a recent Sports Ministry guideline that stipulates NSF chief cannot function for more than 12 years, while secretaries and treasurers, once they have served eight years at a stretch, will have to take a four-year break before seeking a re-election.
NSF chiefs are up against the guidelines and have the support of IOC and Olympic Council of Asia which has warned the Ministry against infringing the autonomy of the NSFs.
Former hockey captain Pargat Singh and athletes of the yesteryear including Vandana Rao, Ashwini Nachappa, Reeth Abraham, Sunita Godara and Sriram Singh were among those who wrote a letter to the International Olympic Committee chief, drawing his attention to the "serious threat to the very foundation of values of sports."
"During the last few decades, a certain section have been using sports as a vehicle to gain political power and to satisfy their greed, keeping sportspersons as mere bystanders," alleged the sportspersons who will also address a press conference in the capital tomorrow to launch 'Clean Sports India' movement.
"The worst (part) is that these self-appointed sports politicians of India think and openly talk that only they can manage sports, and not sportspersons like us," they alleged.
Training guns on Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi and Archery Association of India (AAI) chief VK Malhotra, they said, "They meticulously ensure that no sportsperson comes anywhere near decision-making bodies of sports federations...They are misusing the principle of 'autonomy' of Olympic Movement for their personal ends."
"Indian sports has become a vehicle for his (Kalmadi) power and glory," they alleged.
NSF chiefs are already under pressure because of a recent Sports Ministry guideline that stipulates NSF chief cannot function for more than 12 years, while secretaries and treasurers, once they have served eight years at a stretch, will have to take a four-year break before seeking a re-election.
NSF chiefs are up against the guidelines and have the support of IOC and Olympic Council of Asia which has warned the Ministry against infringing the autonomy of the NSFs.
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