HC Orders Stay On IOA Ad Hoc Committee Forming New National Sports Association For Ski And Snowboard India

New Delhi, May 25: The Delhi High Court has in an interm order directed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad-hoc committee overseeing the affairs of Ski and Snowboard India to not take any steps on the formation of a new national sports association.
Justice Sachin Datta said the ad-hoc committee seeking to create a new national sports association was prima facie “way beyond the scope of authority” of the IOA and ordered a stay till the next hearing on July 8.
The judge passed the order as it issued notice on the application by Ski and Snowboard India (SSI).
SSI had approached the court against a notice issued by the ad hoc committee on May 6 to the affiliated state associations inviting them for the ‘First General Meeting for Registration and Election of the New National Sports Association (NSA) for Ski and Snowboard India’.
In the order passed on May 23, the court granted time to the counsel for the IOA to state whether there was any provision in the IOA constitution which authorised the IOA or its ad-hoc committee to act in this manner, and sought replies from the IOA and Centre.
“In the present case, not only has an ‘Ad-hoc Committee’ been constituted, the said Committee is seeking to create a ‘new NSA’ out of the petitioner. Prima facie, this is way beyond the scope of authority of the IOA,” the court said.
“In the circumstances, till the next date of hearing, the Ad-hoc Committee constituted vide office order 13.10.2023, shall refrain from taking any steps pursuant to the aforesaid letter / notice dated 06.05.2025,” the court ordered.
The court also noted that the order constituting the ad-hoc committee on October 13, 2023 could not be construed as conferring authority on the committee to create a new body and requiring entities affiliated to the petitioner to participate in the process.
Prima facie, in the guise of appointing an ad-hoc committee to manage the affairs of the petitioner, it is impermissible to change the juristic nature and foundational character of the society, it added.
The application by Ski and Snowboard India, represented by counsel Neha Singh, was part of its petition challenging the constitution of the ad-hoc committee to take over its affairs.
Aaccording to the petitioner, the ad-hoc committee was formed without any show cause notice to the body and after October 2023, the petitioner wrote to the IOA and the Centre on several occasions for redressal of its grievances.
The petitioner said the formation of the ad-hoc committee was ordered in a unilateral, illegal and arbitrary manner, in grave violation of natural Justice and the Sports Code.
It was stated that the petitioner was not intimated about or given any show-cause notice or hearing with respect to any alleged complaints which led to the decision to form the ad-hoc committee to manage its affairs.
The petition further said the IOA president passed the direction without consulting the executive committee as per the IOA Constitution. (PTI)

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