Indian Olympic Association chief Narinder Batra has once again refuted the allegations made by Sudhanshu Mittal, saying the IOA Vice-President is simply trying to malign the former’s character and reputation so that he can project himself as the best candidate for the post of IOA President in the 2021 elections of the sports body.

Mittal has claimed that there had been “gross violations” in the process which led to Batra being elected IOA President in December 2017. He also claimed that Batra was not eligible to contest the vote for the IOA President or the election for the top job at the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

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In a letter to Thierry Weil, CEO of FIH, Batra has spoken out further on the whole matter and pointed that Mittal has already made his intentions clear to people in IOA circles.

“The first thing that you need to be aware of is that Mr. Mittal has made it abundantly clear in India and within IOA circles that he intends to stand for the post of President of the Indian Olympic Association in the elections in 2021,” Batra wrote in the letter.

“The second is more of a personal nature and those of you that are familiar of my working style are aware that I am an individual that will take a situation head on when I believe that injustice is or has been done.”

Mittal has also called on the Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Batra from “Hockey and the Olympic Movement”.

“…Mittal is trying to dishonour me with his dubious and motivated claims and is providing his interpretation on various documents and articles all while providing partial and incomplete information/details to cause misconception within the Indian and global sports community, all while he has a single minded personal motive to be the President of the Indian Olympic Association,” Batra further said in his letter to FIH CEO.

“I can only say that his actions are irresponsible, reckless and solely directed only to defame me,” he added.

However, Mittal, in his latest letter to IOC President Thomas Bach, has stated that he is not aspiring for the post of IOA president in 2021 and so “Dr. Batra can rest in peace on this issue”. “However, his fraud, falsehood, wrongdoing, and misdeeds have to be exposed and corrected thus this crusade,” said Mittal.

Batra, however, has denied any wrongdoing. In a whatsapp message to IOC chief, Batra had earlier said it was disappointing that Mittal is raising the issue of his ineligibility to stand in the IOA elections 2.5 years after the elections were held on December 14, 2017.