The Central Council of the All India Chess Federation has agreed unanimously to to hold elections on February 9 at neutral venue in Ahmedabad. The decision was taken in order to put an end to the ongoing crisis in the AICF. The move was decided in the meeting called by AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan in Gurugram, Haryana on Sunday.
However, the decision is seen as another page to the power tussle involving AICF president P. R. Venketrama Raja and Chauhan. It has also been reported that 20 affiliates of the federation attended and backed the decisions taken on Sunday.
Even though the decision was taken on Sunday it will not be implemented because the Madras High Court had ordered on Friday that no decision will be implemented before as the matter scheduled to be heard on January 3.
Other than deciding on the neutral venue and the elections in the meeting it was also decided that all those players who ratings were taken away in 2009 for playing unrecognized tournament will be re-registered. Informing the decision Chauhan said, “Though the World Chess Federation had restored their rating, today we decided to welcome the players without insisting on an apology.”
The decision found backing by Gurpreet Pal Singh, a Railwayman who fought a long, legal battle against AICF for justice, welcomed the decision. He said that this decision will help the players to return with pride. He added that the players were not at fault for participating in tournaments considered “unrecognized” by current rules. A happy Gurpreet said he would wait for the court to allow the decision to be implemented.
In the meeting three vacant post were also filled as Karnataka’s D. P. Anantha was nominated for the Vice President post along with Mizoram’s P. C. Lallianthanga and Nagaland’s Mughaho Awomi as joint Secretaries.
The action now shifts to Bhopal, where the General Body Meeting is due on December 28, in the presence of an observer from the Union Sports Ministry.
