Abhinav Bindra backed the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) over the exclusion of 10m air rifle shooter Rudrankksh Patil from India’s shooting squad for the Paris Olympics.
Patil had bagged a 10m air rifle quota for the Games, but could not find a place in the 15-member Indian squad for the quadrennial event after finishing behind Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta in the NRAI’s selection trials.
Citing the Olympic guidelines, where a country can only send top two shooters in one event from trials to the Games, Bindra said, “See, it’s not a call. It’s a matter of selection. There’s a due process laid out and they followed the process.”
“You’ll ask the same question in case the process was not followed. But a fair process was put out for everybody, and it was followed,” Bindra, who was in the city on Thursday as the chief guest at the IISM Convocation Ceremony, said.
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Backing NRAI’s selection policy, Bindra added: “I think credit the Federation for following the process. I think, as athletes, what do we need? We need a clear system. We need a clear process and we need that clear system and policies followed…
“That is what has been done, which I think is fair. You know, when you (an athlete) make (it to the Olympics), when (another) athlete doesn’t make it, there will be a few who will be disappointed. It is natural. It is fair. It is a normal thing,” he added.
The event was also attended by Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla, who addressed the 170 students who received their certificates and insisted on the fact that ‘the knowledge and skills acquired by these graduates will be pivotal in professionalising sports management in India.’
Former India cricketer and the founder of IISM, Nilesh Kulkarni, said that their ‘mission has always been to provide top-notch education and training to individuals passionate about sports.’
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