The International Olympic Committee, IOC has suspended the Indian Olympic Association, IOA. Associated Press, quoting officials reports that the decision was taken in the Executive Board meeting in Lausanne yesterday. The decision was largely expected after the IOA decided to go ahead with the elections on Wednesday under the government's Sports Code, defying the IOC's diktat to hold the polls under the Olympic Charter. IOA went ahead saying they were bound by the Delhi High Court order. The suspension means that India's athletes will be barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, but they can participate under the IOC banner.Olympians have described the decision to suspend IOA as a sad day for Indian sports, demanding a review of the order. Charles Borromeo, a member of the Indian contingent of 1984 Los Angeles Olympics said that the decision will have a huge impact on the performances of the athletes. Reacting to the decision, Harbhajan Singh, who represented Indian Basketball in Moscow Olympics said, the decision was really unfortunate. Secretary Jharkhand Basketball Association added that IOC should have discussed the issue with the IOA before arriving at a conclusion.Meanwhile, Sports Minister Jitendra Singh called it an unfortunate decision for the Indian sports community, adding that a communication was made to the IOC but they never responded.