Representative image (ANI Photo)
NEW DELHI: The interim leadership of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) has adversely affected the national team’s preparations for continental and international championships, including the Asian Games, with some unilateral decisions raising concerns over its governance structure and functioning and leading to potential conflicts of interest, a joint Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and sport’s global governing body (FIVB)-run ‘steering committee’ observed.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The panel, headed by IOA EC member Rohit Rajpal and aimed at “bringing reforms while safeguarding the interests of athletes and ensuring the continuity of national team programmes and international participation”, made the observations in a recent two-page letter to the VFI, led by Virender Kanwar.In the letter, Rajpal, chairman steering committee, and four other members listed serious concerns and growing challenges affecting volleyball in the country.“The VFI has taken several unilateral decisions including 1) the removal of Dragan Mihailovic, who has been leading the national team over the past three years and contributed significantly to improved performance, 2) the constitution of a selection committee led by the current leadership, raising concerns regarding governance standards and potential conflicts of interest, and 3) a broader departure from the agreed high-performance and technical development plan,” the letter, a copy of which is with TOI, read.
The FIVB recently granted provisional recognition to the VFI for eight months to facilitate the release and utilisation of govt funding to the federation for preparation, training and participation of national teams internationally and at the Asiad in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya. However, the VFI did not formally accept this provisional recognition within the stipulated timeline, leading to the latest standoff with the IOA-FIVB committee.
