IOA urges govt to allow entry for all athletes

India's Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has once again requested the government to submit a written guarantee to International Olympic Committee (IOC) so that India can hold international sporting events.

IOA president Narinder Batra has written to sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, urging him to address the issue as soon as possible. "Government of India is requested to give an urgent written guarantee to IOC that government of India will ensure the entry of all athletes/sports officials/sporting delegations entitles to take part in any international/continental/regional sporting events held in India [including but not limited to participants from Pakistan and Kosovo, as the case may be], so that they can effectively participate under the same conditions and protocol as any other participating delegation, in accordance with the rules of international/continental/regional sports organisation concerned and in full compliance with the rules of the Olympic Charter, so that international sporting events continues to be held in India," the letter in possession of IANS read.

In February, the IOC had decided to 'suspend all discussions' with India regarding hosting of global sporting events after two Pakistani shooters were not issued visas for the World Cup in New Delhi.

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