IOA Athletes Commission eyes fresh start

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

New Delhi: With the Indian Olympic Association getting back to business, the defunct Athletes Commission (AC) is also showing signs of revival. IOA Athletes Commission vice-chairpersonSharath Kamal. (AP)
The IOA AC, headed by MC Mary Kom, was formed with much fanfare to become the voice of athletes in federations but there was hardly any activity in the past 18 months as the turmoil within the IOA took centrestage.
The AC, which has some of India's most decorated athletes, will now reach out to federations to name their athletes' representatives. AC vice-chairperson Sharath Kamal said their first task is to ask National Sports Federations to forward names of two athletes who can liaison with them.
'One thing on the agenda is to try and activate as many as AC with different NSFs. If any federation doesn't not have an athletes commission yet, they can at least give us two representatives who can communicate with IOA AC,' Sharath told HT.
'We also had discussions on beginning athlete centric programmes that's been part of the Olympic movement. We will clearly have a pathway on how we go about in coming years,' said the table tennis star.
IOA AC will be looking to put up systems in place to provide mental health support to athletes and career-transition guidances. It has also charted a campaign to be launched on Aug 29 -- the National Sports Day -- to take sport to the masses. India's elite athletes, Olympians and retired sports persons will be engaged in the drive.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) puts a lot of emphasis on having an active athletes commission in every National Olympic Committee so that their voices can be heard. The AC, therefore, is considered a crucial link between the athletes, federations and the Olympic movement to ensure that the athletes viewpoint remains at the heart of every decision. Every IOC commission has athletes committee representation. The IOA will also have to ensure that its athletes committee members are included in its panels so that they can bring out the perspective of athletes.
To run its various programmes, the AC would need financial grants. The IOA finances were in freeze due to the tussle. However, it is now hoping to get the grants from IOA and the clearances from the executive council to avail the grants from IOC and Olympic Council of Asia.
Winter Olympic legend Shiva Keshavan, who is member of the IOA AC and also the vice-chair of the Athletes Committee in the OCA, says that it is important for the athletes' voice to be taken on board at all levels as the key stakeholders of the Olympic movement.
'An active athletes commission is required to ensure that decision making remains athlete centric, I'm glad to see immediate steps being taken in this regard' Shiva told HT.
'As athlete representatives, we also have a duty towards peers with much to do to improve the athlete experience, including setting up safeguarding policies, anti-doping education, career transition pathways and much more.'
The commission is like a support system for the athletes. It provides support to athletes with their physical and mental well-being, enhances safeguarding measures, protects athletes rights to clean and fair competition among other key objectives.
IOC Athletes' Commission (AC) recently hosted the International Athletes' Forum (IAF) in Lausanne in June. Sharath represented ITTF while Keshavan came from OCA. India's (IOA) AC was also represented by Rani Rampal and Om Prakash Singh Karhana.
'I have learned a lot at ITTF and at the IOC athletes forum,' said Sharath. 'As a player we only looked at the technical part. Now I am having a completely different view, on how the sport can grow, on the business of sports, on athletes development etc,' said Sharath.