Former Indian athlete and the President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) PT Usha finally responded to the claims by Sahdev Yadav. Yadav had made claims regarding financial mismanagement and a ₹24 crore loss after a partnership with a private firm Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Yadav alleged that the reports from Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) highlighted the wrong arrangement of the funds that have benefited the private organization by the expenses of Indian Olympic Association (IOA). PT Usha released a statement where she denied all the allegations and claimed that there hasn’t been any financial loss to India IOA.
Notably, Indian Olympic Association signed an agreement with Reliance industries limited on August 1, 2022, as official principal partner for different sporting events, including the 2023 Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the CAG Audit report claimed that the IOA didn’t amend the agreement to reflect on the recent guidelines by the International Olympic committee (IOC), which led to a ₹24 crore loss for the Indian Olympic Association.
There has been no financial loss to the IOA: PT Usha
In her defense, PT Usha released a statement where she denied any financial loss to the Indian Olympic Association. She stated that the Reliance Industries limited were given rights for additional events in the renegotiated agreement. The legendary Indian runner also alleged that these allegations were made to tarnish her image.
“There has been no financial loss to the IOA” PT Usha said as quoted in My Khel. She further said “"The additional events granted to RIL in the renegotiated agreement provide minimal visibility to sponsors compared to high-visibility events like the Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games, or Asian Games.
