The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has overhauled the officiating of the taekwondo competition at the National Games following serious complaints of match-fixing and manipulation. According to an IOA statement, officials from the Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI) had allegedly pre-decided the winners in 10 out of 16 weight categories even before the competition began.
Reports suggest that a price tag was placed on medals, with a gold medal costing ₹3 lakh, silver ₹2 lakh, and bronze ₹1 lakh. These revelations have sent shockwaves across the sporting community, prompting immediate intervention from the IOA.
IOA Implements Major Overhaul
To restore fairness and transparency, the IOA has made key changes, including Replacing Taekwondo’s Director of Competition, T Praveen Kumar, with S Dinesh Kumar. 50% of the ‘Technical Officials’ have been replaced with qualified referees holding international or national certification. Matches will now be video recorded, and a special monitoring team from the Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) will oversee the four-day event.
IOA President PT Usha on bribery allegation
IOA President PT Usha expressed her dismay, stating:"It is shocking that National Games medals were allegedly decided off the field even before the competition began. We are committed to protecting our athletes and ensuring fair play at all levels."
The Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) of the 38th National Games Uttarakhand has named S Dinesh Kumar as Taekwondo’s Director of Competition replacing T Praveen Kumar after strong recommendations by a three-member Prevention of Manipulation of Competition (PMC) Committee.
Taekwondo Under Scrutiny
GTCC Chairperson Sunaina Kumari emphasized the need to safeguard the event's integrity, stating "It is crucial to implement the PMC Committee's recommendations and protect the credibility of the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand."
With the taekwondo competition set to begin on Tuesday, all eyes will be on the newly appointed officials and the IOA’s measures to ensure a fair and corruption-free tournament.
