Tata Steel in JOA poll race |
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Jamshedpur, June 30: The elections to the management panel of the state’s apex sports body will not be a tame affair now.
Just raising hands to elect a contestant may take a back seat at the annual general meeting — where the elections will be held — of the Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) in Maithon on July 2.
With Harbhajan Singh, a former Olympian and the head of Tata Steel sports department, deciding to throw his hat in the ring for the post of secretary-general, elections through secret ballot has become a distinct possibility. Singh’s emergence as a contestant also suggests Tata Steel’s foray into the JOA.
There has been a persistent demand from various quarters that the post of JOA secretary-general should go to Jamshedpur. It is for the time that someone from the steel city is contesting the JOA polls.
Singh, the secretary of the Jharkhand Basketball Association (JBA), has already started the spadework to shore up support for his candidature. Besides the support of city-based sports associations, the 59-year-old’s candidature also has due patronage of the JOA’s rival faction.
Though the JBA has been rendered a defaulter for not paying the annual affiliation fee, Singh will try his luck as the East Singhbhum District Olympic Association secretary. “I cannot vote or contest the elections as a representative of the JBA. But I can be part of the process by virtue of being the secretary of the district Olympic association,” he said.
He will take on present incumbent Syed Matloob Hashmi.
The rival faction has named a Ranchi-based lawyer for the post of treasurer. “We are leaving tomorrow afternoon for an overnight stay in Dhanbad, and will leave for the election venue on Thursday,” Singh said.
Though some of the city-based state sports bodies have also been declared defaulters for not clearing affiliation dues, but they are heading to Maithon in anticipation that they be allowed to participate in the elections.
Sources revealed that Singh has been given the responsibility to devise strategy. Besides, Arif Imam, the coach of the police athletics team, has also become active to shore up support for Singh. Arif called a meeting last evening to take stock of the situation.
The JOA had recently declared seven state sports bodies, including boxing, archery and basketball, and four district Olympic associations defaulters for not clearing affiliation fees. The defaulting bodies would not be allowed to contest the elections. Hashmi said that elections would be held by raising hands. He, however, hastened to add that secret ballot would come into play, if necessary.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090701/jsp/jharkhand/story_11178982.jsp