Overview
- A complaint filed with the state sports department alleges the Odisha Gymnastics Association used the name of its late president, Samir Dey, on invoices and stationery to secure funding for the 2026 National Gymnastics Championships.
- Documents attached to the complaint say an invoice for more than Rs 1.96 crore dated April 23 carried Dey's name and was signed by OGA honorary secretary Ashok Kumar Sahoo.
- OGA secretary Ashok Kumar Sahoo issued a public apology calling the continued use of Dey's name an oversight, named vice-president Dhiren Panda as acting in-charge, and pledged to dissolve the current committee by August and hold fresh elections.
- The complaint highlights overlapping funding: the Odisha government sanctioned about Rs 1.96 crore with Rs 98 lakh released while the Sports Authority of India sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to the Gymnastics Federation of India for the same championships, raising duplication and transparency concerns.
- The case revives long-standing governance questions at OGA, including an alleged nearly 20-year gap in elections, and may lead to departmental inquiry, financial scrutiny, and changes to how state aid for sport events is vetted.