The Indian Olympic Association has formed a four-member ad-hoc committee to conduct the elections of the Volleyball Federation of India and also to run the affairs of the National body till the federation’s new executive committee is in place.
Former India tennis player Rohit Rajpal (IOA Executive Council member) is the chairman of the committee with Alaknanda Ashok (IOA joint secretary), former volleyball international S. Gopinath, and Stephen Bock (FIVB head of legal committee and general counsel) being the other members.
“The ad-hoc committee will start functioning soon,” a prominent IOA official told The Hindu on Tuesday. “The trials to select the men’s and women’s teams for the Asian Games (in Hangzhou, China, September) will be held under the ad-hoc committee’s guidance in Bengaluru.”
The IOA had formed the ad-hoc committee on the advice of the Union Sports Ministry and after holding discussions with the FIVB on the impasse in Indian volleyball.
The committee will have to conduct the VFI elections within 45 days of its formation and also manage the affairs of the VFI, including selection of players for the various international events till the federation’s newly-elected office-bearers take charge.
The Asian Games selection trials, which will be held with the support of the Sports Authority of India, will be at the Bengaluru SAI from June 18 to 20 (for men) and from June 20 to 22 (for women). It is open to all players.
A seven-member committee for men, which will have Dronacharya awardee Shyam Sunder Rao as the chairman, and a six-member committee for women, headed by another Dronacharya awardee A. Ramana Rao, have been formed to select the Asian Games teams.
