Controversy over case filed against parallel body forces IOA to drop the team
MUMBAI: There is likely be no Indian representation in the body building event at the Asian Games in Doha. The reason: The Indian Olympic Association has not included the team in the Asian Games contingent.
One of the main reasons for the exclusion is the controversy caused by the case filed by the Indian Body Building Federation (IBBF) against Amarjit Malik, president of a parallel organisation which also refers to itself by the same name. Malik was appointed by Paul Chua, secretary of Asian Body Building Federation, in what is being alleged as an illegal meeting held in New Delhi in February 2004.
The Bombay City Civil Court has ruled that the federation led by Madhav Pujari is the only recognised one in the country. The IBBF, an autonomous body, has always maintained that no outsider has the right to interfere in its functioning. The case against Amarjit Malik is still pending in the Office of Charity Commissioner.
“Amarjit Malik has misled the bodybuilders, and media, by covering up the dispute. His statement that Indian Olympic Association has stalled the process is completely baseless,” says Madhav Pujari, president of the IBBF.
The IBBF is waiting for clearance from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to participate in the Doha Games. Madhav Pujari led the bodybuilding team at the last Asian Games in Busan.
“The future of bodybuilding sports can be saved only if members of the IBBF can participate in the forthcoming Asian Games. The IBBF is hoping that the team gets a chance to represent the country,” Pujari adds.
