The Volleyball Federation of India is back in action after being reinstated by the Sports Ministry of India following a suspension for breach of rules in December.
The Sports Ministry’s initial suspension followed a long battle between factions of the VFI, involving President Avadesh Kumar and Secretary General Ramavtar Singh Jakhar. There also was an issue of disputed election results from April 2016.
The Sports Ministry’s revocation of suspension honors the results of that election, which previously had been upheld by the India’s Delhi High Court. The move as well as that of the Indian Olympic Association’s approval of the election results, also opens the possibility for reinstatement by the FIVB.
The FIVB announced in July that it would be assisting with new elections for the VFI. The FIVB required the VFI to supply documentation on the official member list, roll call for the elections, etc., by a June 30 deadline in order to set up a new election in 2017. The FIVB provisionally suspended the VFI in December, then demanded the documentation in a letter in May.
Both the VFI president and VFI secretary responded in different ways to the FIVB’s request for a new election, despite the earlier decision by the Delhi High Court.
Even if the election results stand, still up in the air is the office of president, as those election results were not approved by the Delhi High Court after an initial challenge. In the interim, Jakhar is the top acting official as secretary general, which was decided in the election and confirmed by the Delhi High Court.
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