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Commonwealth Games scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi is all set to chair a crucial meeting of the Asian Athletics Association here tomorrow, which will take stock of the continental championships which is scheduled to be held in Chennai in July.
The meeting, which Kalmadi will chair in his capacity as head of the AAA, will also be attended by the International Association of Athletic Federations President Lamine Diack.
Kalmadi, who was jailed and later released on bail last year in connection with the 2010 CWG scam, is also an IAAF council member.
AAA Secretary Maurice Nicholas said there was nothing wrong in Kalmadi chairing tomorrow’s meeting.
“He (Kalmadi) is the President of AAA and so he will naturally chair the executive council meeting,” Nicholas said.
“We are going to discuss about the Asian Championships which India is hosting and we will also discuss about the AAA calendar for this year,” he added.
It will have to be seen what decision the AAA Executive Council would take on the championships in the wake of the IOC directives to international federations to “protect the autonomy of national federations” and act on erring NSFs in the wake of the ban on India.
There could be a question mark on India hosting the Asian Championships if the ban on India continues till July when the prestigious event will be held.
Asked about IOC’s strictures against Kalmadi and directives to international federations to act on NSFs which associate with the suspended IOA, Nicholas said the AAA was “not concerned” with individuals and individual associations.
“We are not concerned with individuals and individual associations. We are concerned with the championships. The AFI will be represented in the meeting, but we are not dealing with individual officials of AFI,” he said.
Interestingly, the AFI has agreed to holding re-election under the Government’s controversial Sports Code after the Sports Ministry refused to recognise the President, Secretary and Treasurer who were elected in March last year.
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