Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The International Golf Federation (IGF) has strongly objected to Indian Olympic Association’s interference in the Indian Golf Union elections and recognised the Brijinder Singh-led office bearers, who were ratified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. IOA had given recognition to the rival IGU faction led by Harish Kumar Shetty following a contentious election process.
IGF executive director Antony Scanlon in a letter to IOA chief PT Usha said the world body fully supports the election won by the Singh faction and said IOA has no jurisdiction over the IGU annual general meeting or its electoral process.
“We write to object in the strongest terms to your interference and that of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the recent Annual General Meeting and election of office bearers of our National Federation member, the Indian Golf Union (IGU),” Scanlon wrote in a letter.
Two parallel elections had been conducted for the IGU’s governing council under different returning officers (ROs). The Shetty faction’s elections were conducted by retired Allahabad high court judge OP Garg while Singh was re-elected in polls conducted by retired Punjab and Haryana high court judge, Rameshwar Malik.
“The IGF have found no reason to question the legitimacy of the IGU Annual General Meeting and election of the office bearers held on 15 December 2024 at Tamarind Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (where Singh was elected president) and believe they were held in accordance with their constitution and the procedures of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011.
“As such, we recognise and fully support the office bearers announced by the Returning Officer HJ Rameshwar Singh Malik and ratified by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. We contend that neither the IOA nor you as President of the IOA has any jurisdiction over the IGU Annual General Meeting nor its electoral process.
“We contend that neither the IOA nor you as President of the IOA has any jurisdiction over the IGU Annual General Meeting nor its electoral process,” the letter read. Scanlon further called the Shetty-led faction’s election “non-constitutional and invalid”.
