IOA prez Usha rejects treasurer’s claims of faulty deal with RIL

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha said that the executive committee members are out to taint her name, adding that the allegations against her brought forward by treasurer Sahdev Yadav were motivated.

Yadav alleged that a faulty sponsorship deal with Reliance led to major losses to the IOA. The original deal signed with the Reliance Industries Ltd as a sponsor for the Indian contingent was signed in 2022 and covered the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games, 2022 and 2026 Commonwealth Games as well as the 2024 and 2028 Olympics. The contract was worth Rs 35 crore and had a clause saying that RIL had to construct India House in both Paris and Los Angeles.

However, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) clarified that Indian sponsors will have no right of publicity, RIL renegotiated the contract and brought it down to Rs 17.5 crore, of which Rs six crore was already paid to the IOA.

“Whatever I have done, I have done as per the constitution of the IOA. I have never gone against it. But this allegation that IOA incurred losses because of me is untrue. Everything is on record. The terms of the contract had to be renegotiated once the IOC said that Indian sponsors have no right of publicity,” Usha said.

Usha also said the EC members are wrong at pointing fingers at her as both joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey and Rohit Rajpal were part of the deliberations. “Kalyan, who was joint CEO then, wrote a letter to all the members on the issue. Rohit Rajpal sat in few of the meetings with Reliance,” she said.

Usha said that the allegations were motivated as a few of the EC members have been exposed for their wrongdoings. While Yadav has been questioned over his role in writing off Rs 1.75 crore that the Indian weightlifting Federation owed the IOA, other EC members are facing the heat over their continuance in office despite completing their tenures.

“Chaubey gave affiliation to the Taekwondo Federation of India when it had to be cleared by the general body. Wrestler Yogeshwar (Dutt) tried to take over the Ski & Snowboard Federation,” Usha said.

“The EC members have not allowed the IOA to work. The CEO has not been ratified or paid a penny. A worker who serves us tea has not been paid for months. They have been doing this since Day 1,” she added.

Usha and the executive members are likely to square up in the Special General Body (SGM), called to discuss amongst other issues the appointment of the CEO. When asked what will be her plan of action if the general house sides with the EC members, Usha said she will fight it out.

“I had never thought that I would become an MP or the IOA president. The SGM will decide and everyone will see who they want to support. If they want to support those who are not allowing IOA to function then it is up to them but now that I am here I will not run away,” she said.