Abhinav Bindra supports sports ministry’s decision to suspend IOA

01/01/2017

Olympic Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra has supported the Sports Ministry's decision to suspend the Indian Olympic Association for their move to confer lifetime presidency to two tainted administrators. He remarked that the Olympic movement in India can no longer hide behind autonomy.

Earlier, on Friday, The sports ministry of India had suspended the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for failing to respond to its show-cause notice questioning the Olympic body’s decision to confer life presidency on Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala. Kalmadi had voluntarily refused to take the position on Friday.

The first Indian to win an individual Olympic Gold, Abhinav Bindra, took to Twitter to support the decision of sports ministry to suspend the Association. Bindra wrote that the Olympic movement in India can no longer hide behind autonomy, in the age of good governance and ethics.

Change in Indian sport will only happen if mandated. A law is necessary in India. A good step by @IndiaSports & @vijaygoelbjp to suspend IOA
— Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) December 31, 2016

The @Olympics movement and specially the movement in India can no longer hide behind autonomy. It's the age of good governance and ethics.
— Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) December 31, 2016

After imposing suspension on the IOA, Sports Minister Vijay Goel had said to PTI, “Sports is a public property and Indian Olympic Association has to abide by the laws of the land. It is not their personal property and do whatever they want.”

Former president of IOA Suresh Kalmadi had spent nine months in jail, after allegations of corruptions in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He was released from the jail on bail. Abhay Chautala has also been charged with corruption charges in an ongoing court case.

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