Tokyo Olympics 2020: Dr. Prem Chand Verma appointed Deputy Chef de Mission of Team India
Dr. Verma brought world acclaim to Indian boxing and table tennis sports when he took the reigns of these sports bodies.
NEW DELHI: Prospects of Indian team striking it big in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics got a new impetus recently as Indian Olympic Association appointed the veteran sports administrative prodigy and senior bureaucrat Dr. Prem Chand Verma as Deputy Chef de Mission of Team India for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
While appointing Dr. Verma for this globally crucial position with hardly six months to go for Tokyo Olympics, IOA hoped that his appointment would benefit Team India destined to participate in Tokyo Olympics.
Dr. Verma who also happens to be the Working President of Table Tennis Federation of India has replaced Rakesh Sharma for this coveted post and would be accompanying the Indian contingent to Japan by the end of July.
With a few days away from International Customs Day (January 26), Dr. Verma, who is currently appointed as Commissioner, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Union Ministry of Finance would not have expected a better gift.
A letter dated January 22, 2020, from Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, President, Indian Olympic Association read, “The Indian Olympic Association is pleased to inform that you are appointed as Deputy Chef de Mission of Team India for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Your leadership and organizational skills would be beneficial in the planning, preparations, and participation of Team India. We would be grateful if you accept the position and send an acknowledgment of your acceptance.”
Impeccable and glorious track record:
The 1994 batch Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer, Dr. Verma can boast of sound experience of sports administration and his deep inclination for sports from his school days.
Dr. Verma also happens to be the Member, Standing Committee, Olympic Council of India, and Co-Chairman of Indian Olympic Association Preparation Committee for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Dr. Verma also accompanied the Indian teams and delegations as a team leader in international sports events like LIEBHERR 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championship, Budapest Hungary. ITTF World Junior Table Tennis Championship, 2018, Australia, 3rd Summer Youth Olympics Games 2018, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 21st Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast, Australia, World Senior Table Tennis Championship, Dusseldorf, Germany 2017, and many other global sports events happened in Thailand, China, South Korea, Qatar, Italy, Finland, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Germany.,
“But my first love for sports started in the year 2000, consequent upon getting my first posting in Delhi. Since childhood, even though I had some constraints of playing games myself but at the back of my mind that sports apart from being a great source of entertainment, it’s also the biggest source of maintaining mental, physical as well as social health,” said Dr. Verma in an interview with Asian Community News (ACN) Network in New Delhi.
The Turning Point:
“In the year 2000, I decided to choose one of the options – either to take up sports like Chess or become a sports administrator. I decided to go for the second option of sports administration where I would be able to develop sports persons. My first entry into this arena was as a Chief of the Medical Commission of Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for a small stint.
But soon, keeping in view his interest and inclination, and the level of intrusion into the sports he was appointed the vice president of BFI in 2003.
In 2005, RS Dalal who was the FBI (the erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation) working president, but after his appointment as DGP, Haryana Dr. Verma was entrusted with the responsibility of Working President.
Brought global fame and glory to Indian sports:
However, it was during his taking reigns of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation, Indian boxing witnessed golden period when the country produced world-known boxers like MC Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, Manoj Kumar, Shiva Thapa, and Vikas Krishan.
It was in the year 2002 when Dr. Verma was selected as a Tram Leader for the Indian Team for Busan Asian Games, South Korea and it was his first international exposure.
“This opportunity taught me about the sports administration on a global level, problems faced by the sportspersons on foreign soil, their acclimatization issues, behavioral changes, and stress and food-related matters,” said Dr. Verma.
Indian Table Tennis received global recognition:
After this, Dr. Verma started diversifying in other sports ventures.
“In 2010, I entered Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) as Co-Chairman of Haryana Table Tennis Association. And in 2012, I was selected as Chairman, Technical Committee, TTFI of which I am the Working President since 2018,” added Dr. Verma.
It was during his tenure, 2018 Gold Coast Australia turned up as the golden era for India Table Tennis at the global level as the team won three gold medals, three silver, and two bronze.
Men and women teams both won gold, and also the woman single too won gold. This was the most glorious period for Indian TT. In 2019, Asian Games Jakarta, Indian TT team again created history and won silver and bronze in the face of the acute challenge posed by the world-class players from China, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia.
In recognition of these miraculous results and his passion for sports, he was nominated as the Member, Standing Committee, Olympic Council of Asia for a term of four years. Next meeting of this committee on February 14 in South Korea to address administrative issues, how to streamline technical things, make the games more transparent.
“On January 23, I received a communication from Dr. Naridner Dhruv Batra that I have been selected to be the Deputy Chef de Mission of Team India for Tokyo Olympics 2020 to look after administrative issues, national and international relations, all issues pertaining to placements, rehabilitation, and medical issue, etc,” said the beaming Dr. Verma.
BP Vaishya, President, Weight Lifting Federation of India and former Member of Parliament is the Chef de Mission of Team India.
Dr. Verma owns high regard for Dr. Batra who is the first Indian President of the International Hockey Federation and also the selected Member of Executive Committee of International Olympic Council. Other Member being the famous entrepreneur Nita Ambani.
And a doctor-turned bureaucrat:
Born in Sirsa, Haryana Dr. Verma’s career took off as a doctor after he completed his MBBS and worked as Medical Officer at Civil Hospital, Tohana (Fatehabad), Haryana. He also worked as Junior Resident Doctor at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Hospital, New Delhi.
However, the turning point came in the life of Dr. Verma came when he was qualified IRS in 1994 and was first appointed Assistant Commissioner, Customs & Central Excise on December 23, 1995, at the National Academy of Customs, Central Excise and Narcotics, Faridabad. And there was no looking back after that.
