Indu Puri appointed chair of IOA ad-hoc committee to run TTFI

Mumbai: The Indian Olympic Association on September 17 constituted a three-member ad-hoc committee to administer the Table Tennis Federation of India and named former national champion Indu Puri as its chairperson, after the Sports Ministry suspended TTFI’s recognition as the National Sports Federation on August 12. The office order was issued by IOA president P. T. Usha.

The IOA described the panel as a "limited and time-bound interim sporting mechanism" set up in consultation with the International Table Tennis Federation. The three-member group comprises Indu Puri, 73, an eight-time National champion; Namrata Chatterjee, a reputed sports lawyer serving as the legal member; and Dr. Andres Constantin, ITTF Governance Manager, as the third member.

The committee’s mandate includes ensuring the day-to-day administration of the sport and enabling athlete participation while enforcing compliance with the applicable legal, regulatory and ITTF frameworks. It is charged with maintaining administrative continuity for table tennis operations under those frameworks.

The body will review the TTFI Constitution and governance framework, explicitly including their alignment with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, and the applicable ITTF framework. Its remit also covers a review of affiliation and electoral structures and measures related to governance reform.

Among its duties are facilitating a transparent process for selection of teams and athletes and overseeing elections to a duly elected governing body. Those responsibilities form part of the committee’s work to restore a functioning, elected administration for the federation.

The order specifies that the committee will not act as a permanent governing body; it will act strictly as a caretaker and transitional body and "cannot create permanent posts, contractual liabilities or irreversible financial or administrative commitments." The committee has been tasked to preserve neutrality and transparency while carrying out its functions.

The ad-hoc committee has been constituted initially for six months. Any extension will require a written IOA decision following consultation with, and prior written approval of, the ITTF, and the IOA may expand its strength from three to a maximum of five members if required.