Why Did IOA President PT Usha Have Heated Argument with Indian Olympic Body's Members?

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Indian sprint legend and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha found herself in a tense standoff with the IOA's Executive Council during a recent meeting.

The confrontation centered on the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as CEO, a decision that Usha strongly supports but many council members oppose. The primary agenda of the meeting was to ratify Iyer's appointment, which had been made in January, but it ended in a deadlock with no resolution in sight.

Both sides remain firm in their positions, suggesting that the conflict will escalate. Usha expressed her frustration, claiming that the appointment process, which took two years, is now being questioned.

"They want to re-initiate the whole process, they want to re-advertise afresh. It's like saying we don't want this person and let us start the process from scratch," she stated. Usha warned that this dispute could have serious consequences for India's bid to host the 2036 Olympics, as the CEO's leadership is crucial for negotiations with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Despite her firm stance, 10 Executive Council members who attended in person issued a statement after the meeting, rejecting Iyer's ratification as CEO. According to their statement, the members decided to re-initiate the selection process with new terms of reference, opposing Usha's insistence on retaining Iyer. Notably, IOC Director Jerome Poivy attended the meeting online but did not intervene, calling it an "internal matter of the IOA."

The bone of contention appears to be Iyer's salary, reportedly Rs 20 lakh per month. Usha offered to renegotiate his salary during the meeting, but the council members remained adamant about starting the hiring process from scratch. They voted 12 to 0 against ratifying Iyer's appointment, citing concerns over his compensation and urging a fresh process to be initiated.

Usha, however, countered by accusing the council of going back on their word, noting that in a January meeting, they had agreed to Iyer's appointment. "I asked each one of them whether they agree to the appointment of Iyer as the CEO or not. All of them said Iyer is good and everything about him is all right," she recalled.

With both sides at an impasse, Usha's frustration was palpable. She stressed that this ongoing feud could damage India's Olympic aspirations and reaffirmed her commitment to cleaning up the IOA.