The president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) PT Usha has refuted the claims of treasurer Sahdev Yadav about a CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) report that a faulty sponsorship agreement with Reliance India Limited (RIL) caused a loss of Rs 24 crore to the IOA.
In an exclusive interview with India TV, the IOA chief said that Sahdev is trying to "defame" her and blemish her reputation.
"I don't understand why he (Sahdev Yadav) is trying to defame me. He is under the scanner of CAG and is deliberately trying to tarnish my reputation," Usha told India TV.
"As the president of the IOA, I have taken all my steps as per the constitution of the organization. I have not put a foot wrong. I don't know why the members of my association are running an agenda against me. I don't have any personal interests or anything and I am very straightforward," she added.
For the unversed, there was a sponsorship deal between the IOA and RIL. As per the terms of the agreement dated August 1, 2022, Reliance India Limited was allowed to strike an association with the IOA as the Official Principal Partner of the Asian Games (2022 and 2026), Commonwealth Games (2022, 2026) Paris and Los Angeles Olympics.
The sponsorship agreement also gave Reliance India Limited the authority to build the 'India House' during the conduct of the events.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to permit the naming rights of the NOC House to a sponsor. The CAG report reveals that the rights of the Winter Olympic Games (2026, 2030) and the Youth Olympic Games (2026, 2030) were also granted to Reliance India Limited through an amendment in the agreement.
The IOA chief has claimed that due process was followed while redrafting and making the amendment to the deal with Reliance India Limited.
"The Addendum to the agreement was drafted under the guidance of one of India's leading sports lawyer, Mr. Nandan Kamath of NK Law, Bangalore. The Acting CEO was kept in the loop, copied on all relevant emails," a press release from the IOA read.
The IOA chief also refuted the allegations made against her which claim that she is autocratic.
"I am not autocratic. I have always consulted members of the IOA before taking any decision related to the organization," she mentioned in the interview.
