Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha names CEO

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, January 5

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has appointed former CEO of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) Raghuram Iyer as the CEO of the IOA

As mandated by the IOA’s constitution, the appointment had been stalled for over a year as a lot of executive members were wary of appointing a CEO, who would take over the duties and powers that were previously assigned to a secretary general.

The IOA executive committee, led by PT Usha, met here today where the decision to appoint a CEO was sealed. However, a few members have raised objections to the hefty salary package as well as perks that are being offered currently. Despite the complaints, Usha announced Iyer as the new CEO.

Iyer and former All India Football Federation (AIFF) Kusal Das were the only two candidates from a list of six applicants to be interviewed by a committee consisting of Usha, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Nita Ambani and Athletes’ Commission chief MC Mary Kom.

“We have pledged towards good governance principles and appointing a CEO is part of that,” Usha told The Tribune today. “We believe that Mr Raghuram Iyer brings a unique combination of leadership, strategic leadership and understanding of the sports landscape. His appointment is a significant step towards the continued growth and success of Indian sports,” Usha added.

Joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey, who is also the president of the AIFF, was acting as the CEO in the interim. Interestingly, Chaubey was never recognised by the IOC, which insisted on a formal appointment as per the constitution cleared by it.