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Urgent need to constitute Adhoc Olympic Body in Jammu & Kashmir

Young Bites. Dated: 3/20/2018 12:14:00 PM

Need to streamline rich sports potential in j&K for national and international levels

There is rich sports potential in jammu and Kashmir, only need is to streamline such potential for national and international levels which is lacking as some of the prime sports associations in Jammu and Kashmir are occupying the principal posts since many decades for their vested interests in the flagrant violation of sports code.Showing courage to take action against such ‘sports mafia’ ruling roost in the state, Jawaid A Shah, the then Secretary, J&K State Sports Council ordered for derecognition of J&K Olympic Association.
According to Sports Council office order No:182 of 2016 dated 15-03-2016, JKOA shall not be eligible for grant-in-aid as well as other forms of assistance from the state government, J&K State Sports Council and not to derive the authority to perform the public functions of organizing State/Games or selecting and deputing the state teams, contingent for participation in Zonal/National level Competitions/Games & also not to represent the state in National Sports Federations/Indian Olympic Association events, conferences on the behalf of Sports Council.
That was for the first time in the history of sports in J&K, State Sports Council which has taken a serious note of utter violation of Sports Code/guidelines of J&K State Sports Council by J&K Olympic Association and other state sports bodies
Senior official of sports have said that as per codes of Indian Sports Ministry, no person above 70 years of age and more than 12 times can be president of any association but the norms were violated by the J&K Olympic Association.“There are so many other drawbacks and violations
by the JKOA,” he said adding that Sports Council wants to promote sports and in view of that, those who are openly violating the norms, shall not be accepted.
He however, said that Jammu and Kashmir has rich potential in sports and the state will surely reach new heights.
The order reads as the recognition of State Sports Associations is subject to the implementation of guidelines of the J&K State Sports Council. The State Sports Associations including J&K Olympic Association recognized by the J&K State Sports Council are required to conduct the elections of office bearers once in four years under the supervision of Observers of J&K State Sports Council & National Sports Federations,Indian Olympic Association strictly in accordance with the guidelines of J&K State Sports Council & constitutional provisions.
It also said that the Govt of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs <& Sports had formulated a National Sports Development Code in India (NSDCI) in 2011 which contains instructions on good governance & transparency in the functioning of National Sports Federations (NSFs) including restrictions on age & tenure of office bearers.
The orders also stated that even Govt of India’s instructions were challenged by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the High; Court of Delhi vide WP(C)2310/2012 in which the authority/powers of the Union Govt, to frame such instructions was also questioned, yet the Division Bench of the High Court of Delhi while dismissed the petition of Indian Olympic Association passed an elaborate order on 09-05-2014 upholding the authority of the Govt of India to lay down instructions/laws for the sports bodies to bring good governance & transparency in the functioning of Sports Federations/Associations.
Accordingly, the Standing Committee of J&K State Sports Council as per the authority vested in the constitution adopted similar code on the duration of tenure & age of office bearers of recognized State Sports Associations including J&K Olympic Association & circulated the adopted instructions to all Sports Associations/J&K Olympic Association vide notification dated: 12-08-2013 for implementation.
In place of implementing the sports council guidelines, the J&K Olympic Association through its General Secretary Ashutosh Sharma filed a suit in the Court of Sub-Judge (JMIC) Jammu challenged the notification dt: 12-08-2013 issued by J&K State Sports Council relating to the restrictions on age & tenure of office bearers of the State Sports Associatioy ordered that recognition granted to J&K Olympic Association has been withdrawn with immediate effect.
But it further pained sports lovers of the state to observe the role of IOA in patronizing so called the termites of sports responsible for deteriorating sports scenerio in the state.It is quite surprising that despite being derecognised by j&k state sports council, the illegitimate JKOA organized a felicitation program with the sole objective to hoodwink the sportspersons and also to exert undesired pressure on sports council to reconsider their representations. In the same manner, state sports council should react tough against such sports mafias who have proved themselves as deadwood since their inception four decades back.
The views expressed are personal