'Athletes should not lose focus due to International Olympic Committee-Indian Olympic Association row'
Welcoming International Olympic Committee's deadline to IOA to axe tainted officials and hold elections, former athletes Reeth Abraham and Ashwini Nachappa say current sportspersons must remain focused as the major Olympic-approved events happen only in 2014.
Arjuna Award-winning former India long jumper Reeth Abraham welcomed the International Olympic Committee's diktat to Indian Olympic Association to hold new elections by December 15 after firing power-hungry and tainted officials at the helm of the national Olympic committee.
The IOC shot off a letter to the IOA on Thursday saying it must drop the charge-sheeted members by October 31 and hold fresh elections by December 15 this year. Only then will India return to the Olympic fold. India have been in exile since last December when the IOC's executive board suspended IOA after Lalit Bhanot, who is facing corruption charges linked to the scandal-hit New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, was elected as its secretary-general.
"Athletes like us second the IOC deadline to IOA as we have been demanding this for a very long time that corrupt should not be governing Indian sports. These tainted officials have been holding posts for a long time and doing nothing for our athletes. Let them step down and that will be the best thing that can happen to sports in our country," Reeth told NDTV on Friday.
Reeth says current athletes should be patient and stay focused on the big Olympic-approved events next year. More than the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Asian Games in South Korea will be most eagerly awaited events in 2014.
"Fortunately the big Olympic events are due next year so our athletes must remain focused during this period. Yes, right now they may not be able to compete under the Indian flag, but in the long run we will get our due," said Reeth.
President of the Clean Sports India campaign, former sprinter Ashwini Nachappa (in pic) used sterner words in her reaction to the IOC deadline. "The current situation within the IOA is so bad that unless push comes to shove, they will not move. This has come to a stage that they literally need to be pushed out," she told NDTV on Friday.
"It is for the first time that the IOC and the sports ministry are in sync to bring some transparency for the sake of our athletes," the 45-year-old former Nachappa added, indicating this was India's best chance to clean its stables.
On Thursday, Olympian shooter Joydeep Karmakar said that it will be a shame if athletes are unable to represent India. Also miffed with IOA for not accepting IOC's "charge-sheet" clause for better governance, 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra said: "IOA is trying to negotiate something with IOC which is non-negotiable."