PT Usha writes to IOC after hostile behaviour of EC members over appointment of Raghu Iyer

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Former sprint queen PT Usha, who is now the President of the Indian Olympic Association, was involved in a heated exchange with members of the executive committee at the Olympic Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday (September 26).

At a special meeting which had been convened, the first point on the agenda was ratification of the CEO Raghuram Iyer. Usha wanted this to be approved after his monthly salary was to be discussed/negotiated.

However, the members of the EC, including Ajay Patel, Sahdev Yadav, Rajalaxmi Singh Deo, Gagan Narang, Rohit Rajpal and a few more were not willing to budge.

Before this, the aggressive stance of one member from Sahdev Yadav, who is treasurer of the IOA had also irked PT Usha. It is learnt she did not like the way Yadav behaved. Once the meeting began, there was no conciliatory tone at all.

The EC members wanted to stonewall the appointment of Raghu Iyer, whose appointment was done in February 2024. Sensing the agenda of the EC members, Usha left the meeting and then shot off a letter to Jerome Poivey in the IOC (International Olympic Committee), who had also joined the meeting online.

After Usha had left the meeting, unhappy that the EC members had their agenda and wanted a fresh advertisement taken out to "restart a CEO hiring process", she went back to her office and wrote to the IOC. Appointing a CEO has been mandated by the IOA revised constitution and insisted upon by the IOC as well.

Usha has also hinted the differences and constant stonewalling can hurt India. "This process of appointment took almost two years. This will have repercussions on India's bidding for the 2036 Olympics," added Usha.

MyKhel has a copy of the letter Usha has sent to Jerome Poivey (Head of Institutional Relations and Governance, NOC Relations Department International Olympic Committee).

In her conclusion of the Executive Committee meeting (held on 26.09.2024), Usha wrote, "Dear Jérôme, I start this email with a heartfelt thanks for your presence in the Executive Committee meeting of the Indian Olympic Association (the "IOA") on 26.09.2024. I however am disappointed with the way my fellow Executive Committee members did not even allow the commencement of the meeting and therefore, I apologise for the same.

Nevertheless, it becomes my duty to record the emergent need for calling the said meeting. As you already know, there was a need to negotiate the salary of the IOA CEO Mr. Raghuram Iyer, who was correctly appointed as per the decision of the Executive Committee meeting on 05.02.2024. However, his appointment is still under the unnecessary scanner and ultimately even in today's meeting nothing has come to fruition.

It is very disappointing that you had to endure today's meeting which resulted in no outcome. It becomes extremely pertinent to mention that since we had to conclude the meeting for being hostile, no decisions that may be allegedly made during such a meeting can have any affect whatsoever.

I thank you for extending your cooperation and assure you that I, in my power as the elected President of IOA, would work towards the betterment of the IOA.

Kind Regards,

Dr. PT Usha

President, IOA