Kalmadi re-elected IOA president

In what turned out to be a formality, the Indian Olympic Association elections returned the same office-bearers, with Suresh Kalmadi as president for a fourth consecutive term.

The long list of office-bearers and executive members though has some new faces with few cosmetic changes here and there.

The IOA's quadrennial elections during its Annual General Meeting in Pune, saw affiliate members choose the same office-bearers for another term.

Having been chosen unopposed, Kalmadi said, "This four years means we have to remain in office till 2012 and, hence, the onus of a performance in London 2012 will be on us.

"The Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) are set to begin on Sunday. In 2010, India have two big events up in store, with the Commonwealth Games and then the hockey World Cup, and the next year, we also stage the Asian Hockey Championship. So, currently, we have our plate full. We have to deliver. But the ultimate dream would be to bring in the 2020 Olympics to India."

Asked for his reaction on K P S. Gill's scathing comments that "the IOA is a fake organisation", Kalmadi chose to be diplomatic.

"It's a democracy. Everybody has his or her right of expression. I can't ask somebody to stop commenting on something."

The new faces in the list of office -earers include G S Mandher, Jagdish Tytler, P Ramchandran, B Kalita, Paresh Nath Mukherjee -- all vice-presidents; Baljit Singh Sethi and Sunaina Kumari (both joint secretaries); Capt P V K Mohan, Rajiv Mehta, Gurudatta D Bhakta, Kartar Singh, Balasaheb Langde and Padi Richo (all executive committee members).

The IOA also has decided to bring in R K Gupta as chairman of the Winter Games Commission; while L Rajgopal, Mahesh Joshi and Harbhajan Singh have been made the associate vice-presidents for the first time.

Arun Kumar Vij and Bashir Ahmed Khan are the two new additions to the assistant joint-secretaries posts.

The office-bearers:

President: Suresh Kalmadi.

Senior Vice-President: Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Vice-Presidents: J S Gehlot, Abhay Singh Chautala, Raj Chopra, Tarlochan Singh, M.C. Chowhan, Avinash Kohli, K Murugan, G.S. Mander, Jagdish Tytler, P Ramachandran, B Kalita, Paresh Nath Mukherjee.

Secretary-general: Randhir Singh.

Joint-secretaries: Lalit Bhanot, S M Bali, Harish Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma, Baljit Singh Sethi, Suniana Kumari.

Treasurer: A K Mattoo.

Executive Committee: Harish Kumar, M.L. Jadam, P.K. Muralidharan Raja, I D Nanavati, C P Singh Deo, Anandeshwar Pandey, Mukesh Kumar, M M Abdul Rahiman, Raj Bengani, Captain P V K Mohan, Rajiv Mehta, Gurudatta D Bhakta, Kartar Singh, Balasaheb Langde, Adip Das, Kuldeep Vats, P K Pradhan, Syed Matloob Hashmi, Mushtak Ahmed, Padi Richo, S S SB, Anurag Thakur.

Chairman (Sports Development Commission): Brig. K P Singh Deo

Chairman (Finance Committee): Anil Khanna

Chairman (North-East Commission): B P Baishya

Chairman (Winter Games Commission): R K Gupta

Chairman (Affiliation/Disputes Commission): R K Anand

Chairman (Press and TV Commission): Durga Das Boro

Chairman (NRI Olympic Support Commission): Gurbir Singh

Chairman (Medical and Anti-Doping Commission): Dr Manmohan Singh

Chairman (Athletes Commission): Yashwant Singh

Associate Vice-Presidents: V K Verma, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Umrao Singh, Govind Raj, Ram Lal Thakur, L Rajgopal, Mahesh Joshi, Harbhajan Singh, Rangil Singh and Mohammad Aslam Khan.

Advisor: R L Anand

Assistant Joint-secretaries: Rakesh Gupta, K S Sidhu, Arun Kumar Vij, Ashok Sahota, Bashir Ahmed Khan.

PRO: Sandeep Mehta.