Suresh Kalmadi loses AAA election

Indian scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi yesterday lost his position as the president of the Asian Athletics Association to Qatar’s powerful rival Dahlan Jumaan Al-Hamad, bringing an end to the veteran administrator’s 13-year reign at the helm.
Kalmadi was jailed and later released on bail for his alleged role in the Commonwealth Games scam, lost 18-20 in the presidential elections held on the second and final day of the AAA Congress.
All the 45 member countries of the AAA voted through secret ballot in the presence of international parent body IAAF chief Lamine Diack.
There were seven invalid votes. Each country has one vote in the election.
Kalmadi, a former Indian Olympic Association president, will, however, continue as a member of the IAAF Council till 2015 but will no longer be an area representative from the continental body.
Seemingly unfazed at being ousted from the AAA, Kalmadi said losing the presidential re-election bid has actually given him a chance to work at the “grassroots” level.
“I have no issues today and I congratulate Mr. Al-Hamad for being elected as president. I am rather relieved that I will be able to work at the grassroots level in athletics,” Kalmadi said after losing the vote during the ongoing AAA Congress here.
Kalmadi’s defeat also marked the end of 69-year-old Congress MP’s career as a sports administrator as he has already quit from any such post in the country last year after he was charged and jailed for his alleged role in the CWG scandal.
The electoral reverse has now led to speculation on whether he would now announce retirement from sports administration since he no longer
has any posts. Qatar Athletics Federation President Al Hamad, who is also the incumbent senior vice-president of the AAA as well as the IAAF, will hold office for just two years instead of four.
An AAA source said that the term of its president was curtailed so that it runs concurrently with that of the IAAF chief and it will revert to four years from 2015 onwards.
“There are a lot of opportunities in Asia which we still do not utilize. I see the opportunity is there, but we are not trying to bring that opportunity through constructive planning. We lack in marketing side,” Al Hamad had said.