James MacLeod, head of the IOC's NOC relations, has urged the Indian Olympic Association to appoint a chief executive "as quickly as possible" ©IOC

Pressure is increasing on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to recruit a chief executive after fresh calls were made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a swift appointment.

Last year, the IOA received a final warning from the IOC over persistent governance issues, forcing this year’s Session in the Indian city of Mumbai to be delayed from May until October.

Former sprinter PT Usha was elected as President last December - one year after elections were initially scheduled to be held to stave off the threat of suspension.

However, the IOA has yet to appoint a chief executive which it said it would do as part of its new statutes published last November.

The IOC called on the IOA in March to fill the position "without further delay in order to finally normalise the situation" but the role remains vacant.

"The IOC had asked for a number of elements to be reviewed by the NOC of India and in particular we needed them to finalise as per their statute, the appointment of a new chief executive officer and secretary general," said James MacLeod, director of Olympic Solidarity and head of National Olympic Committee (NOC) relations.

"This is something that has been delayed and we have asked them to address that situation as quickly as possible."

PT Usha has been in charge of the IOA since last December but has yet to appoint a chief executive despite calls from the IOC ©Getty Images
PT Usha has been in charge of the IOA since last December but has yet to appoint a chief executive despite calls from the IOC ©Getty Images

Members of the IOC Executive Board, which have held meetings in Swiss city Lausanne over the past two days, have also urged the IOA to address "a number of ongoing issues affecting Indian sports federations".

The IOA has been requested to resolve the issues "in a coordinated manner and in accordance with the rules and directives of the International Federations concerned".

The Wrestling Federation of India has been plunged into crisis with its outgoing President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accused of sexual harassment of seven female athletes, including a minor.

An IOA Ad-hoc Committee consisting of Bhupender Singh Bajwa and Suma Shirur took over the running of the WFI last month.

Protests against Singh began in January only to be initially called off after the Sports Ministry provided assurances the wrestlers' grievances would be addressed.

However, inaction from the authorities led to demonstrations resuming in April, and last month police in New Delhi were heavily criticised for clearing protests sites and briefly detaining wrestlers.

The wrestlers agreed to halt their protest last week after meeting Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who promised a police investigation would be complete by June 15.

Singh, who has been charged with sexual harassment, cannot stand for re-election as President having reached the maximum three consecutive full four-year terms.

Indian wreslers have held protests against former Wrestling Federation of India leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment ©Getty Images
Indian wreslers have held protests against former Wrestling Federation of India leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment ©Getty Images

Elections were initially scheduled for May 7 but placed on hold by the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which asked for them to be held within 45 days of the formation of an IOA Ad-hoc Committee.

United World Wrestling had warned the WFI faced suspension if the 45-day deadline, which expired on June 17, was not met.

The IOA has announced the elections will be held later than this date on July 6.

The IOC Executive Board also received updates on the activities of the NOCs of Guatemala and Iran during today’s meeting.

The National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NOCIRI) was summed to Lausanne in February for a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach who had expressed "grave concerns" over the welfare of athletes and discrimination in sports in the Middle East nation.

MacLeod praised the work of the NOCIRI and International Federation of Sport Climbing for helping to give climber Elnaz Rekabi her passport back.

Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi participated in the women's Climbing World Cup in the Italian town of Brixen earlier this month in what was her first event since fears for her safety were prompted after she competed without a hijab last October ©Getty Images
Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi participated in the women's Climbing World Cup in the Italian town of Brixen earlier this month in what was her first event since fears for her safety were prompted after she competed without a hijab last October ©Getty Images

Rekabi appeared at her first international event since fears for her safety were prompted after competing at the Asian Championships without a hijab last October.

She was reportedly placed under house arrest on returning to Iran, and there were claims her family villa was demolished.

The controversy came following the start of ongoing anti-Government protests in Iran, sparked by the death in police custody of 22-year-old Masha Amini after she was arrested for not wearing a hijab.

Guatemala's NOC remains suspended by the IOC, which has been in effect since October 15 of last year.

Legal issues within the NOC's governance were at the core of the issue.

MacLeod said that "no progress has been made" but stressed that the IOC would work with authorities to resolve problems "as quickly as possible".

He also confirmed that 360 Guatemalan athletes will compete under a neutral flag at the Central American and Caribbean Games, scheduled to be held from Friday (June 23) to July 8 in El Salvador, due to the NOC’s suspension.