NOC annual general assembly on March 11 had extended its executive committee´s tenure for two years but the IOC and OCA suggested NOC to hold fresh election rather than extending tenure as the extension decision contravenes Olympic Charter.[break]
Saturday´s general assembly, attended by 23 member associations and two observer associations, re-elected Jeevan Ram Shrestha for the post of general secretary in the new executive committee, which includes seven new faces.
Umesh Lal Shrestha, Ganga Bahadur Thapa, Sitaram Maskey and Dhirendra Pradhan are four vice-presidents in the committee, where Chhimi Urken Gurung is treasurer. Shrestha, Thapa and Maskey were also the vice-presidents in the previous committee while Pradhan and Gurung were members.
Among the new faces, Nepal Basketball Association President Lama Tendi Sherpa is deputy general secretary while Chaturananda Baidya (Table Tennis), Jyoti Rana (Lawn Tennis), Gita Rana (swimming), Laxman Shrestha (Archery), Rajeev Shrestha (Boxing) and Ramji Bahadur Shrestha (Badminton) have been elected as members.
Likewise, Rabi Rajkarnikar (athletics), Purendra Bikram Lakhe (karate) and Sunil Rajkarnikar (kabaddi) have been re-elected as members.
The whole committee was elected unopposed after Rajendra Bantawa of Nepal Rafting and Canoeing Association withdrew his candidacy.
Deputy General Secretary Deep Raj Gurung, Treasurer Upendra Keshari Neupane, Vice-presidents Rabi Raj Thapa and Prabhat Kiran Subedi as well as members Bantawa and Hukum Raj Giri of the last executive committee did not field their candidacy for new committee. Gurung´s Nepal Taekwondo Association and Neupane´s Nepal Triathlon Association did not send any representatives in the general assembly.
NOC has been courting controversies after the Supreme Court verdict of October 4, which not only barred it from operating bank accounts but also questioned its legitimacy and allowed rival NOC body-led by Rukma Samsher Rana to carry out their activities.
Despite Pradhan-led committee´s appeal in the Supreme Court for the review of the verdict, Rana-led committee has also filed cases to stop Pradhan committee´s activities.
After the election, Pradhan said that his committee would focus on building harmonious and good relations with the government but without violating the Olympic Charter.
“We have appealed to the Supreme Court, and IOC as well as OCA have recognized us. Now, we have to educate government about Olympic Movement and Olympic Charter,” said Pradhan.
IOC´s manager for NOC (National Olympic Committees) relation Olivier Niamkey and OCA´s Asian Games manager Heider Forman termed the election transparent, fair and peaceful.
“We know what is going on in Nepal. The IOC is the sole entity that is entitled to recognize a National Olympic Committee and the Olympic rings and the word ´Olympic´ belong exclusively to the IOC,” said Forman.
Forman, referring to the Supreme Court verdict, said that the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is the final authorities to judge any dispute within the NOC. "This case should not be judged simply by civil law like other cases," said Forman.
Meanwhile, IOC-NOC Relations Department Director Pere Miro wrote a letter Rana stating clearly that the IOC recognises the Nepal Olympic Committee, which is currently led by Pradhan as President. Miro, replying to Rana´s March 22 correspondence, asked NOC led by him not to use the word Olympic and the Olympic rings.
The NOC controversy have been leading Nepali Sports on the verge of facing ban by IOC in international tournaments.
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