India stands firm in Commonwealth stand-off
Mittal says nation can no longer be taken for granted on international stage
Dubai: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has warned the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) that it will not back down over a stand-off with organisers over the removal of shooting as a sport at the Commonwealth Games.
Having hosted the 2010 controversy-ridden Games, India has competed in 14 of the 18 previous editions starting in 1934. However, London headquartered organisers CGF — currently branded as Commonwealth Sport — has decided that shooting won’t feature at the 2022 Birmingham Games.
India, on its part, has threatened to boycott the next edition of the Games, with IOA President Narinder Batra meeting with Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to explain the proposed boycott. The IOA has also decided to boycott the 71-member CGF General Assembly in Rwanda while also withdrawing candidatures of two of its officials from the September elections.
“The good thing is that the Indian Government and the IOA are on the same page here. India is no longer a pushover country. Our time has arrived. And if international bodies don’t take the Indian interests seriously, then I think we need to assert ourselves,” IOA Vice President Sudhanshu Mittal told Gulf News.
“I think all this is coming at the right time. Realising the requirements of India and its stand on shooting, the organisers will have to do a lot of re-thinking. On our part, we have taken this issue very seriously and we have the support of our Government.”