If you have to boycott you have to ask the government, Kiren Rijiju tells IOA

06/26/2019

Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju has stated that the IOA has to ask the Government of India before deciding to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games. IOA general secretary Rajeev Mehta had earlier said that the Association will boycott the CWG as shooting was not a part of the Games.

After shooting was not considered as a part of the sports programme at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) general secretary Rajeev Mehta had threatened that India would pull out of the event if shooting was not included.

Meanwhile, India’s new sports minister Kiren Rijiju has clarified that the Olympic association is not allowed to take such decision on its own and they have to ask the central government.

“If you have to boycott you have to ask the government because these sort of decisions are not to be declared unilaterally. (Issues such as) the future of athletes, national prestige is involved so when such steps are taken it has to be taken after due consultation. We will discuss with the IOA about this," Rijiju told IANS.

Rijiju also mentioned about the importance of having uniformity in the policies of individual state governments towards sports.

"Sports is a state subject so I would be appealing to the state government to focus on its growth.”