World Archery appoints Abhinav Bindra to sort out controversy in AAI
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In a recent development, Abhinav Bindra has been appointed by the World Archery to solve the fiasco surrounding the two factions of the Archery Association of India (AAI). This news has come up after a day when the world body de-listed the Indian archery association on Wednesday.
After two factions – led by Arjun Munda and BVP Rao - declared themselves as the administrators for archery in India, the global body had de-listed the AAI for violating its constitution. However, the World Archery has now asked Indian shooter and Olympics gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra to look into the matter. The secretary-general of the world body Tom Dielen has written a mail to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra.
“World Archery have appointed an independent person who is Bindra, a highly respected athlete as you well know,” Dielen wrote in the letter, reported PTI.
Bindra will now be a part of the selection panel, which also has IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta and a representative of the Union Sports Ministry to select the Indian archers till the issue is resolved between the two factions of the AAI.
Meanwhile, the World Archery had given a deadline of July 31 to the Supreme Court of India to give a verdict on the ongoing controversy. Batra, however, had condemned the global federation for giving a deadline to the apex court of the country. The world body had threatened to suspend the AAI if there is a delay in the Supreme Court verdict which would have restricted the participation of the Indian archers in world events.
“This kind of behaviour by World Archery by giving timeline is highly disrespectful and discourteous towards the Hon’ble Courts in India and World Archery be asked to refrain from showing disrespect to the judicial institutions in India. Like World Archery is governed by Swiss Laws similarly AAI is governed by Indian Laws and mutual respect needs to be maintained.”
“Further the way World Archery is forming the Commission’s/Committee’s shows that World Archery is compromising with the Autonomy of the Archery Sports Body in India and why they are doing this is best known to them,” Batra wrote to IOA secretary general Mehta, directing him to interact with Dielen.
To Batra’s criticism, Dielen wrote that the world body has always respected the Supreme Court of India.
“World Archery do respect and have always respected the decisions of the Hon. Supreme Court,” the letter further read.
