India is due to host the IOC Session next year, but its NOC has undergone a turbulent period since the resignation of President Narinder Batra ©Getty Images

Uncertainty surrounds the status of the Guatemalan Olympic Committee (COG) and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) going into the two-day International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting due to begin here tomorrow.

Since the Executive Board last met in June, the IOA has been plunged into crisis less than one year before the country is due to host the IOC Session in Mumbai.

Narinder Batra resigned as IOA President in July, also relinquishing his leadership of the International Hockey Federation.

IOA elections were due to have been held in December last year but have been delayed because of an ongoing case in the New Delhi High Court, where it has been accused of violating the national sports code.

In July, the IOC wrote to the IOA warning that it could face suspension if elections were not held.

Adding to the turmoil, Adille Sumariwalla has claimed he is the Acting President of the NOC, but this is disputed by secretary general Rajeev Mehta.

The IOC has said that the Executive Board "will be updated about the situation" at the meeting.

It is also set to be updated on the governance issues engulfing the COG amid a legal dispute over its leadership.

Earlier this year, the IOC announced Gerardo Aguirre as COG President following the staging of elections, but Jorge Alexander Rodas was named as the winner by the Electoral Court of Federated Sports.

Aguirre, who is also backed as the election victor by Panam Sports, had served as President since 2014, but Rodas appealed to the Constitutional Court in Guatemala.

Last month, the Court provisionally suspended the COG statutes and the election of the Executive Committee chaired by Aguirre.

The Constitutional Court provisionally suspended the election of the COG Executive Committee led by Gerardo Aguirre ©Getty Images
The Constitutional Court provisionally suspended the election of the COG Executive Committee led by Gerardo Aguirre ©Getty Images

Magistrates have rejected an appeal from the COG to overturn the decision, despite a demonstration from around 50 Guatemalan athletes.

It had been reported by ESPN Deportes that the IOC had set a deadline of August 31 for the decision to be lifted by the Court to avoid the COG being referred to the Executive Board for "appropriate action".

Guatemalan publication Prensa Libre is among those to have reported that the COG is now at risk of being suspended by the IOC, and the Lausanne-based organisation has confirmed that its situation is set to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting.

"We are fully aware of the various court decisions," the IOC said.

"The IOC Executive Board will be updated about the situation on the occasion of its next meeting (8 to 9 September 2022)."

The Central American Sports Organization (ORDECA) said it fully supports the IOC's letter from July 1 and the stance that "National Olympic Committees must be free from interference in their internal governance and operations in accordance with the principle of autonomy of the Olympic Movement established in the Olympic Charter".

It warned that a potential suspension of the COG's IOC recognition would affect its membership of the ORDECA and its status as co-host of this year's Central American Games with Costa Rica, and that its Executive Committee would be "in permanent session" aware of the measures the IOC Executive Board could take.

Guatemala has competed at every Olympic Games since Mexico City 1968, winning its only medal through Érick Barrondo's men's 20 kilometres race walk silver at London 2012, while India has taken part at every edition since Antwerp 1920, and enjoyed its most successful performance to date at Tokyo 2020 with one gold, two silvers and four bronzes.

Tomorrow marks one year since the IOC Executive Board suspended the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea until the end of 2022 due to its failure to send athletes to Tokyo 2020.