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Sports

IOA backs Batra's stand on shooting after CGF Asia cries foul

New Delhi, Sep 21 

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra has time and again made his displeasure known after shooting was removed from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but the move was criticised in the recently held CGF Asia Regional Meeting in Rwanda. But IOA General Secretary has written back to Regional Vice-President (Asia) Chris Chan and said that India condemns the statement challenging the rights of the IOA chief.

In the mail, Mehra has clarified that Batra has every right to speak on behalf of Commonwealth Sports in India and is supported by the Executive Council as well as the General Body of CGA/NOC India.

"Our president has been relentlessly working for the advancement of sports in India. He is authorized and has full power to speak on behalf of Commonwealth Sports in India and is supported by the Executive Council as well as the General Body of CGA/NOC India. The recent communication with regard to exclusion of shooting from the Sports Programme of Birmingham 2022 was not essentially a reflection of our position on Commonwealth Sport but it was the anguish of a billion people.

"Although CGA/ NOC India has been over looked many times despite the fact that India is the only nation in Asia that has hosted the Commonwealth Games in the last two decades, we have maintained cordial relationship with the office of CGF and all member countries in the region. The recording of such a statement was unwarranted and we hope needful correction would be made soon," the letter read.

The minutes of the CGF Asia Regional Meeting said: "Asia should stay cohesive as a group, India should have spoken to the region before taking a boycott decision. Asia expressed disappointment that India has questioned the relevance of the Commonwealth and took the stand they did, and said that the NOC/CGA President cannot speak for the country."