Olympic Newsdesk: Indian Government Questions IOC, Gymnastics OKs Wembley, Rogge in Africa

(ATR) Indian sports ministry and IOC fight over government interference … Gymnastics federation approves move to Wembley for 2012 Games … IOC President Jacques Rogge tours Africa … ANOC moving to Lausanne.

India Calls IOC Positions Strange

Letters reveal that the IOC and the Indian Sports Ministry are squaring off over proposed term limits for Indian sports officials.

The IOC is opposing efforts by the government to impose term limits on sports officials including Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi. Both sides plan to meet in Lausanne soon to discuss the issue, according to letters.

Injeti Srinivas, joint secretary of Ministry if Youth Affairs & Sports, calls the IOC position "strange" in a letter dated Wednesday to IOC President Jacques Rogge.

"We are surprised, that in such a fundamental matter, as good democracy, and clean elections in the NOCs, you do not wish, to take any position, except to say, that no matter how unacceptable the situation, the national authorities, or courts of the country are not to look their way," Srinivas wrote.

The IOC opposition to the government proposal is based on protecting the autonomy of NOCs. The IOC does not take issue with the principle of term limits. The IOC has its own term limits including a maximum presidential tenure of 12 years and age-limit of 70 years for IOC members.

"Our point is that such measures (which relate to internal operations of those organizations) must not be decided or imposed by law or an external body’s decision," IOC NOC Relations Director Pere Miro wrote to the sports ministry on Monday. "But must be decided freely and democratically by the competent organs of those organisations, on a case-by-case basis, and this must be reflected in their respective statues/constitutions.

"This is our understanding of what autonomy of the Olympic and sports organisations means, and it is one of the basic principles of the Olympic Movement."

The IOC, in its response, says government-imposed term limits could breach the Olympic Charter.

To see the exchange of correspondence with the Indian government, the IOC and the Olympic Council of Asia, click here.

Rogge on African Swing, Promotes African Olympic Bid

IOC President Jacques Rogge is on an "inauguration tour" of Africa.

Fresh off the launch of the first Olympic Youth Development Center in Lusaka, Zambia, Rogge flew to Kenya to attend the opening of the Kip Keino Secondary School. The Kip Keino Primary school, located near Eldoret, opened previously. Rogge says the IOC has supported the buildingof the secondary school by Keino, who is president of the national Olympic committee of Kenya and in his final year of IOC membership.

He turns 70 this year and must retire from the IOC.

While in Kenya, Rogge said he hopes a bid from Africa will be coming soon.

Rhythmic Gymnastics Approves Wembley

Rhythmic gymnastics at the 2012 Games will take place in Wembley Arena after approval by the International Gymnastics Federation.

The FIG executive committee approved the venue change on Thursday while meeting in Chiba, Japan. The move is expected to save millions of dollars for organizers. Organizers scrapped original plans to build temporary venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics near the Olympic Village last year over concerns about cost.

The Badminton World Federation has not approved the venue change yet. However, last month the BWF awarded Wembley the 2011 Indoor World Championships.

The main concerns for both sports federations were longer travel times from the Olympic Village in East London to Wembley in North London.

ANOC Moving Offices

The Association of National Olympic Committees bids adieu to Paris, the organization’s headquarters for since its foundation nearly 30 years ago.

ANOC secretary general Gunilla Lindberg says the office will relocate in June to space in Lausanne. The new office is located across the street from the Lausanne Palace hotel, where IOC members, NOC leaders and other Olympic Movement figures stay while in town on business.

"Everything is in Lausanne and I think it will facilitate a lot of things," said Lindberg.

Fasel Sees NHL in 2014 Olympics

International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Ren Fasel says he believes the National Hockey League (NHL) will compete in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, according to a report by Sporting Life.

"We’re not 100 percent sure the players will participate, but the feeling I have today, especially because of the success of the participation of the NHL players in Vancouver, is that I cannot see the NHL not participating," Fasel told the online publication.

"The players want to come; they definitely they want to be there. It is in their hands, in fact, as the discussions with collective bargaining would decide whether they will be able to participate in the Games in Sochi."

The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement the NHL and NHL Players Association ends September 2011. It can be extend one more year at the end of the term. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, the NHL and IIHF agreed that the NHL would compete in the 2006 Turin Games and 2010 Vancouver games.

Written by Isia Reeves, Karen Rosen and Sam Steinberg.