It is the biggest lie: Ashwini Kumar

NEW DELHI, FEB 11: Ashwini Kumar is one of the seniormost members of the International Olympic Committee and, at 78, he has just two more...

NEW DELHI, FEB 11: Ashwini Kumar is one of the seniormost members of the International Olympic Committee and, at 78, he has just two more years before he retires from one of the world’s most exclusive clubs, which has only 104 members. And a club, which has of late been under a lot of fire over for corruption and bribery charges.

"And now… on the last lap of my career, I am being accused of wrongdoing. This is incredible. This is the biggest lie I have ever heard," he said. "I have never accepted any favours and I don’t know how these new allegations have been levelled," he added.

"I don’t know how my name is figuring in this scandal. I have checked with the IOC office in Lausanne and the report has no mention of me. Yesterday I got a call from someone saying that it was being alleged that in May 1995 I took a free ticket for a guest of mine," said an agitated Kumar, who has been an IOC member since 1973.

Some reports emanating from Europe have suggested that he took a free ticket worth US $ 5,900,which Kumar vehemently denies. Showing counter foils of all the tickets he has used, the meticulous Kumar, said, "My fault was probably that I tried to save some money for the two bidding cities of the 2002 Winter Games (Salt Lake and Quebec) by combining the trip. I felt if I first went to Salt Lake and then came back to India and then again went to Quebec, the expense would be greater. So I asked the them to combine my ticket. It would also reduce my travelling."

Each IOC member is allowed one guest, and Kumar usually travels with either his wife or daughter. "My daughter (Rohini Kumar) came to Quebec and my wife (Renu Kumar) visited Salt Lake with me. That was within the rules, so where is the question of my asking for an extra ticket," argued Kumar.

It seems there was a confusion over these plans and Kumar himself had explained it to David Johnson in a letter to him on April 19, 1995.

"All these baseless allegations smack of a campaign which is poor taste. I am being accused of wrongdoing when Iactually saved money for the two cities by combining the trip. And from the trip to Salt Lake to Budapest, no one accompanied. That is all on record. My wife and daughter had gone home to India and I was going to Budapest for duties regarding security arrangements ahead of the IOC session there in June, 1995."

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"I have always tried to speak up for the developing countries and I must emphasise that we have full faith in the leadership of President Samaranch regardless of what others may say about him. He has been a true saviour of the Olympic movement," added Kumar.

Kumar, who lost narrowly elections to the post of the IOC Vice President by a narrow margin of 45-47 feels that all this scandal and mudslinging is part of a "war of succession".

Samaranch’s planning to step down after another two years, and his group is supporting Ung Yong Kim of Korea, who was also accused of wrongdoing as his son John Kim was supposed to have got a job with Salt Lake. But he has since been exonerated by the EthicsCommission. Curiously Kumar’s name does not figure at all except in rumours. "It is slanderous and has no basis," says Kumar, who also feels that Ung should succeed Samaranch once he steps down.