New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) Olympic gold-winning former shooter Abhinav Bindra has called for transparency and fairness in the electoral processes related to the country’s sports governance system, while pointing out an apparent inconsistency between the IOA Constitution and the rules followed during the just-concluded SOM elections.
Bindra, who did not contest but voted in the polls held on Monday to elect eight Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), said the credibility of institutions should be as important as the achievements of the athletes in India’s increasingly ambitious sporting future.
“I have always believed that the strength of an institution lies not in the absence of questions, but in its willingness to address them. Strong governance is not merely an administrative necessity; it is the foundation upon which lasting sporting progress is built,” Bindra wrote in a post on ‘X’.
“My sincere hope is that we move forward with a shared commitment to constitutional clarity, fairness and integrity in all our institutional and electoral processes. These principles must never depend on individuals or outcomes.
“Ultimately, the credibility of our sporting institutions rests not merely on the decisions they make, but on the fairness and integrity of the processes through which those decisions are reached. Indian sport deserves nothing less.”
His social media post came after he wrote a letter to IOA president PT Usha on October 31, before the controversial SOM elections held on Monday, seeking clarification on an apparent inconsistency between Article 3.7 of the IOA Constitution and the recently-notified rules governing the election of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit.
Article 3.7 of the IOA Constitution provides that “eight SOMs shall be selected by the Athletes Commission and ratified by the General Assembly prior to the election of the IOA office bearers”.
This procedure was followed in the previous election in 2022.
But this time, eight SOMs were elected by an 80-member electoral roll comprising former athletes.
The election was supervised by the IOA-appointed Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Srivastava. Bindra was one of the 80 SOMs who voted on Monday in an online election. The results sheet issued by Srivastava showed that all 80 had voted.
“SOMs forming part of the IOA General Assembly shall be elected only from amongst the persons included in the SOM Roster created and published on the IOA website,” the Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit Rules said.
Both the IOA Constitution and the rules to elect the SOMs were ratified by the IOA in September this year.
“Small improvements in clarity, communication and institutional responsiveness can make a considerable difference to the trust and confidence people place in our systems,” he wrote in the letter.
“Ultimately, strong institutions are not defined by the absence of questions, but by the confidence and openness with which they address them.”
The 44-year-old Bindra, who won the 10m air rifle gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, expressed disappointment that his specific question was not addressed though he received an indication of which rules were being followed.
“While I have independently decided not to pursue candidature, I do believe the question I raised remains relevant, irrespective of my own participation in the electoral process,” he wrote in the letter.
“I must admit to feeling a little disappointed that a genuine question concerning the interpretation of our own Constitution could not be addressed. There may well be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the apparent inconsistency, and I would have welcomed the opportunity to understand it.”
He said he has not received any substantive clarification from either the Electoral Officer or the IOA leadership.
“As we look ahead, it is important that our constitutional provisions, electoral rules and administrative procedures are clearly aligned and communicated, leaving as little room as possible for ambiguity.
“Good governance, to my mind, is not simply about following procedures. It is about creating confidence in those procedures. It is about ensuring that athletes and members feel heard, that questions raised in good faith receive due consideration, and that the institution remains open to constructive engagement.”
IOA EO Srivastava reacts
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IOA-appointed EO Sanjay Kumar Srivastava said that his job was to conduct elections under the existing rules and anything beyond that was outside his purview.
“I had replied to his (Bindra’s) query, saying that I have no role in that. My role or job is to conduct elections for which I was appointed by the IOA,” Srivastava told PTI, when asked about Bindra’s letter.
“His concerns were beyond my jurisdiction. Whether there were inconsistencies or not (in the Constitution and the rules), that is beyond me.” PTI PDS PM PDS PM
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