Dropping of archery coach may lead to trouble

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 24

Archery’s global organising body, World Archery (WA), has serious reservations about the conduct of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in dropping the name of compound coach Richpal Singh from the Indian squad at the World Junior Archery Championships in Madrid.

Richpal was told about his removal from the squad through a last-minute letter from SAI’s project officer Yamini Sharma, who cited “gross indiscipline” as the reason. “Leave without prior permission from the coaching camp is an act of indiscipline particularly amongst the sportsperson. The gravity of misconduct committed by you during the coaching camp is such that it warrants disciplinary action against you. The competent authority therefore, approved your removal from the Indian Archery team going to Youth World Archery Championships at Madrid from 17th to 25th August 2019,” the letter read.

Serious violation

WA’s secretary general Tom Dielin wrote to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general Rajeev Mehta, flagging Richpal’s omission as a “serious violation of procedures”.

“We have written to Ms Sharma of government for explanation seeking removal of coach from 2019 World Archery Junior Championships,” Dielin said in his letter dated August 19. “It is a serious violation of procedures set by World Archery to ensure fair and transparent decision. We note that ministry representative in the selection committee did not provide any information on the matter. This will have an impact on the decision of World Archery on the matter of suspension,” he added.

IOA knocks on SupremeCourt door in archery mess 

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the directions of the Delhi High Court to form a Transitory Committee (TC) to run the day-to-day affairs of the Archery Association of India (AAI). A five-member TC under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) BD Ahmed was set up on the directions of Justices S Muralidhar and Najmi Waziri of the Delhi High Court on August 9. The TC includes a representative of the Sports Ministry, a member each from two warring factions of AAI, and a representative of IOA. IOA has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order, stating that the ruling did not adhere to an earlier Supreme Court judgment, which mandated an election to be held first, to be followed by AAI’s amendment of its constitution as per the National Sports Code. — Vinayak Padmadeo