Bhubaneswar Athletics Association (BAA) President Suresh Kumar Routray and Secretary Sourjya Ranjan Parija were today unanimously re-elected for yet another term at the Annual General Meeting of the district sports body, held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubanesar.

However, the manner in which the duo was re-elected, raised eyebrows and drew criticism. Representatives of many affiliated units were denied permission to participate in the AGM. But a large number of unknown people were allowed to join there and help the incumbent office-bearers get re-elected. There was no voting, no prior announcement of election schedule, eligible voters etc. Even

According to a BAA press release, the AGM was convened as the Odisha High Court had directed to constitute new executive committee by March 2022. The president and secretary have been given the responsibility to select other office-bearers and members as early as possible, the release added.

Elections of office-bearers, which was supposed to held in every two years, had not taken place since 2007. People in power had deliberately delayed the elections, taking the excuse of court cases, to which they were parties. Without elections, the district body had been derecognized by the Department of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: BAA president Suresh Kumar Routray (Left) and secretary Sourjya Rajan Parija during the AGM at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 23rd January 2022.