Beijing Games gold medallist Abhinav Bindra is sad that the Indian Olympic Association is not showing intent to reform its constitution even as the country's Olympic future hangs in the balance.
Indian Olympic Association has still not complied with the IOC diktat that charge-sheeted officials should be barred from contesting in elections. IOC had given India a deadline of October 31 to amend their constitution and December to hold fresh elections.
The IOC, which is helping IOA firm up a new constitution, wants officials charged in any case by an investigating body to be barred from running in future IOA elections, whereas the IOA wants to ban only those jailed for two years or more and decide on the merits of those receiving lesser sentences.
Criticising India's IOC member Randhir Singh and Jharkhand Olympic Association president R K Anand, Batra hinted that both are responsible for his walkout.
The 12-discipline Games have some obscure sports like e-sport, dance sport, kurash, baduk, kickboxing and muay. The others are billiards, bowling, chess, futsal, kabaddi and short course swimming (25m).
According to Indian sports minister Jitendra Singh, the roadmap towards India's return to the Olympic fold has been chalked out.
The IOC will meet delegations of the IOA and the Indian Sports Ministry on Wednesday in Lausanne to chart a way forward for India's return to the Olympic fold.
It is learnt that Sports Secretary P K Deb also called up Randhir urging him to reconsider his decision but the veteran administrator has not relented yet. Malhotra was scheduled to meet IOC representatives from 8:30 am to 9 am (local time) as per his request but that time slot may now be used for the joint meeting.
The IOC has sent a message to the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi to expedite the visa formalities of all the visiting delegates, a clear indication that it is going ahead with the scheduled meeting.
In a dramatic development on Thursday, VK Malhotra and India's IOC member Randhir Singh pulled out of the meeting, which is to be attended by a delegation of the Sports Ministry also.