MADHYA PRADESH TRIATHLON ASSOCIATION THROUGH ITS SECRETARY AND ANR. ETC. versus INDIAN TRIATHLON FEDERATION AND ORS. ETC.

Citation: [1996] SUPP. 8 S.C.R. 662 · Decided: 08-11-1996 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: K. RAMASWAMY, G.B. PATTANAIK · Disposal: Disposed off
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Judgment (excerpt)

A MADHYA PRADESH TRIATHLON ASSOCIATION THROUGH ITS 
SECRETARY AND ANR. ETC. 
B 
c 
V. 
INDIAN TRIATHLON FEDERATION AND ORS. ETC. 
NOVEMBER 8, 1996 
[K. RAMASWAMY A~ID G.B. PATTANAIK, JJ.] 
Sports: 
Indian Olympic Association Rules: 
Rule XIX-Disputes in National Sports Federations/Associations/ 
State Olympic Associations affiliated to Indian Olympic Association-
Settlement of-Before this Court parties agreed to settle their disputes in 
terms of Rule XIX-Held, in view of the decision of the Indian Olympic 
D Association taken on 29.11.1995 in its Annual General Meeting, the 
President cf the IO.A. is directed to follow the procedure prescribed in 
Rule XIX and appoint an Arbitration Board in terms thereof 
E 
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Transfer Petition (C) Nos. 
239-252 of 1996 Etc. 
Under Section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure. 
R.K. Jain, Kapil Sibal, C.S. Vaidyanathan, M.N. Krishnamani, R.P. 
Bhat, Manoj Goel, Ms. Abha R. Sharma, Brij Bhushan, Ranjit Kumar, 
F Ms. Anu Mohla, R.S. Massey, S.A. Syed, Pankaj Kalra, Rakesh Khanna, 
Vineet Kumar, Manoj Saxena, Irshad Ahmed, T. Raja and Ashok Mathur 
for the appearing parties. 
G 
The following Order of the Court was delivered : 
It is rather unfortunate and we feel that every Indian citizen would 
feel ashamed of the fact that not even one sports-person out of the huge 
population of 94 crores could find a place in the victory stand in the 
Olympic Games 1996 held at Atlanta. Instead, all these Associations are 
busy in the court proceedings and spending their spirit on the litigation 
H instead of inculcating spirit of sports in the track and field. These cases 
662 
M.P. TRIATHLON ASSN. v. INDIAN TRIATHLON FEDERATION 663 
are some instances of the deplorable state of affairs. But, it is heartening A 
to note that all of them have agreed for the settlement of the disputes in 
terms of Rule XIX of the Indian Olympic Association Rules which reads 
as under: 
"Settlement of Disputes/Conflicts in the National Sports Federations/ 
State Olympic Associations. 
B 
(i) 
All National Sports Federations/Associations/State Olympic 
Associations affiliated to 1.0.A. shall include in their 
Constitution a provision that the Federations/Associations 
would have all unresolved disputes settled by the 1.0.A., 
and their Members shall voluntarily surrender their right of C 
seeking redress in any Court of Law. 
(ii) 
Every Member shall be deemed to continue its membership 
of the 1.0.A. on the specific condition that it voluntarily 
surrenders its right of seeking redress in any Court 
~L-. 
D 
(iii) 
All unresolved disputes arising within the National Sports 
Federations/ Associations/State Olympic Association affiliated 
to the IOA, shall be referred by the FederationslAssociations 
to the IOA for settlement by the IOA. For this purpose, the 
IOA Executive Council, on the recommendation of the E 
President IOA, shall recommend 9 names to the disputing 
parties, to select one name, in consultation with the president 
IOA, which is acceptable to both the parties. The Arbitration 
proceedings shall be completed within the period specified 
by the IOA Executive Council. President IOA, based on the 
circumstances of the case, has the authority to extend, or F 
vary, the period. 
(iv) 
In the event of an unresolved dispute within an affiliated 
Unit of the IOA, which is referred to the IOA by a Member, 
and which affects normal working of the Unit, or prevents G 
preparation and training of the sport/team under the charge 
of the Unit for purposes of International representation/ 
competition, the IOA Executive Council will constitute an 
ad-hoc body from within the Members of the General 
Assembly, as may be necessary until the dispute within the 
Unit is resolved. 
H 
A 
B 
c 
D 
E 
664 
(v) 
SUPREMECOURTREPORTS [1996] SUPP. 8 S.C.R. 
All disputes between National Sports Federations/Associations 
and the IOA, or within the JOA itself, will be dealt with in 
the same manner as laid down in (iii) above. 
In furtherance thereof the Annual General Body meeting of JOA 
held on November 29, 1995 decided as under: 
"Dispute in Federations/Olympic Associations. 
Regarding the disputes in Indian Triathlon Federation, Uttar 
Pradesh Olympic Association and J & K Olympic Association 
Dr. B. Sivanthi Adityan stated that he would appoint a two 
or three member Committee which will be requested to submit 
its report before the next Executive·Council meeting of the 
IOA. 
Decision: 
The presid
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