Bhubaneswar: After receiving a complaint about the functioning and fund mismanagement of Odisha Gymnastic Association (OGA) , the Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) on Wednesday announced a five-member Ad Hoc Committee to manage the day-to-day affairs of the (OGA)
A complaint submitted to the commissioner-cum-secretary of Sports & Youth Services Department has questioned how the OGA managed to secure nearly Rs 98 lakh from the Government for the 2026 National Gymnastics Championships even as invoices of more than Rs 1.96-crore and official documents continued to carry the name of late Samir Dey as president.
The event was held from April 25 to May 3 at Kalinga Stadium. Sports Authority of India (SAI) had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) for hosting the National meet. The OGA requested GFI to sanction Rs 25 lakhs for the event held at Kalinga stadium.
“Surprisingly the Association had not conducted elections for nearly 20 years and presently running with a name of president, who has passed one and half years ago," complainant Balunkeswar Sahoo wrote in his letter which was received by the sports department.
Responding to the late president’s name in the invoice raised to the State Government, OGA secretary Ashok Sahoo said the association had continued using old stationery, "we are yet to print a new letter pad”.
According to the OOA press release “the newly formed Ad Hoc Committee features OOA vice-president Binod Dash as chairman, along with OOA treasurer Rabi Sankar Pratihari, Bhubaneswar Athletics Association secretary Sourya Ranjan Parija, former international gymnast Ramesh Chandra Behera and international gymnastics judge Pradip Kumar Sahoo as members”.
According to the press release, the OOA had taken note of the issues and concerns highlighted in various media reports regarding the affairs of the OGA. “The new committee will conduct an inquiry about the financial mismanagement”
