Shillong, Jun 28: If you’re reading TSR you probably have an interest in Meghalaya sport and, if so, you might be wondering if the Meghalaya State Olympic Association is overdue for an election. And you’d be right.
The last time there was an election to the MSOA’s executive council was September 2019 and that body was only supposed to last four years, so we’re almost a year overdue now. How this has been allowed to happen is because the members of the MSOA, the various sports association affiliated to it, unanimously decided to extend the term of the current council until the National Games are held.
This was stated by the Meghalaya State Olympic Association Working President John F Kharshiing during a sit-down with reporters yesterday. Also addressing the media was MSOA General Secretary Finely L Pariat and the two covered a wide variety of subjects, such as next year’s 6th Meghalaya Games in Jowai, this year’s 3rd Sohra International Half Marathon and deferred elections to the MSOA executive council.
“Last year, at the annual general meeting, it was decided to extend the term of the current body because of the National Games,” Kharshiing said.
Meghalaya was meant to host the Games in 2022 but Covid-19 and other delays meant that this has been pushed back, with the state unlikely to host the mega event before 2025 at the earliest.
“The sports associations didn’t want to start with a new body before the National Games because it is a huge role,” Pariat said. “It was a unanimous decision.”
Although it may have been unanimous at the AGM, that hasn’t stopped aggrieved individuals connected with sports from complaining about the extension behind the MSOA’s back to the media.
The Indian Olympic Association has also queried why the election hasn’t taken place but the MSOA is at loggerheads with the IOA regarding the latter’s new constitution, which removed voting rights from state Olympic associations and that matter is pending in the Supreme Court.
Asked about eligibility of office bearers in the MSOA, many of whom have been serving continuously for several years, Kharshiing said that the country’s Sports Code only applies indirectly, not directly, to the MSOA. For example, the Sports Code has to be followed by the Shooting Association of Meghalaya (through which Kharshiing was elected to the MSOA executive); only if he were ineligible to serve in SAM would he be barred from being elected to the MSOA.
In fact, Pariat said that if the Sports Code was applied in letter and spirit, state sports associations would be decimated in terms of their top office bearers. Under the code there are limits to how many years at a stretch any one person can serve in an association – as per the rule, no office bearer can stay in a position for over 12 years. There are also restrictions on civil servants and elected politicians taking up roles too.
Kharshiing rued that not enough sports administrators are coming forward to take up what are essentially voluntary posts in the state sports associations and MSOA as they place big demands on time and effort.
Unless more administrators are encouraged and groomed to take on leadership roles, many state sports associations could end up being derecognised because they don’t follow the Sports Code, which would have a major knock-on effect for Meghalaya’s athletes.
(Representative photo)
