India’s elite athletes have piled the pressure on the Indian Olympic Association and demanded the removal of all tainted officials in order to overturn the country’s Olympic ban.
Abhinav Bindra, who won India’s only individual Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, said the administrators have failed the country which remains an Olympic laggard despite its 1.2 billion population.
“To a certain extent, yes (the IOA has failed the country),” Bindra said in an interview.
“A lot needs to be done for Indian sport and with our potential we are nowhere near where we can be.
“We are still stuck with fighting on clauses that are absolutely non-negotiable. Something which is all about ethics.
“The ethical standards are laid down under the Olympic Charter and to defy that is not good. It does not go well for the Olympic movement,” said Bindra, who has been joined by Sushil Kumar, who won a wrestling bronze in Beijing and silver in London, and multiple grand slam doubles winning tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi in demanding a corruption-free IOA.
“We want a clean and effective Olympic body where it can help us and Indian sports to grow and we athletes can represent our country and our flag once again.”