Kolkata: India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra was on Thursday appointed as an independent person by the World Archery to sort out the ongoing mess in the national federation.
The development comes a day after the world body de-listed the Archery Association of India (AAI) for violating the constitution by unanimously electing two parallel bodies in Chandigarh and New Delhi. “World Archery have appointed an independent person who is Mr Bindra (sic) who is a highly respected athlete as you well know,” WA secretary general Tom Dielen wrote in a mail to Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra.
The celebrated Indian shooter will be part of the selection panel, also consisting of IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta and a representative of Sport Ministry to pick the national teams till a new AAI body takes charge. Dielen also sought for a meeting with the IOA chief on the sidelines of the 134th IOC session at Lausanne from June 24 to 26.
“World Archery do respect and have always respected the decisions of the Hon. Supreme Court,” Dielen further wrote in his letter.
Batra had earlier condemned WA for giving a deadline to the Supreme Court of India. While de-listing the AAI on Wednesday, the WA has stated that if the Supreme Court does not give a verdict on the controversial elections by July 31, the world body would go ahead with suspension which would prevent Indian archers from participating at any world event.
