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NEW DELHI (AP) — India's government revoked the suspension of the Indian Olympic Association after it stepped back from a proposal to appoint two tainted former officials as honorary life presidents.
The IOA regretted the inconvenience and embarrassment it caused, the Sports Ministry said on Friday. The decision ends the government threat to suspend the IOA's funding.
"It is expected of IOA that it will uphold the highest standard of probity and ethics in its functioning in future," a government statement said.
In a letter to the sports minister on Monday, the association explained that the honorary awards to former IOA presidents Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Kumar Chautala were just a proposal. The plans caused a furore within the Indian sports community.
Kalmadi was jailed on corruption charges relating to the 2010 Commonwealth Games before being released on bail. Chautala faces trial on finance-related matters.
Kalmadi and Chautala were unanimously proposed for the positions, which were largely ceremonial and did not give any voting rights, during an annual IOA meeting last month in Chennai.
While Kalmadi said he would not accept the honorary post until he was cleared in court, Chautala reportedly said he'd leave a decision on the award to the International Olympic Committee.
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