The Archery Association of India president BVP Rao on Wednesday said that the federation will get the sports ministry’s recognition after an approval from the Supreme Court, PTI reported.
In the renewed list of recognised national federations, the AAI, despite electing a new set of office-bearers under the amended constitution, was ignored by the Sports Ministry.
The AAI elections were held as per a new constitution which, the ministry says, is not in consonance with the national sports code. “For six years, the Archery Association of India was not recognised by the sports ministry,” Rao was quoted as saying by PTI. “Nobody wrote when it was not there for the last six years,” Rao told PTI.
AAI has been given time till March 31 to fall in line or risk de-recognition. But, an optimistic Rao said that they are awaiting the approval of the Supreme Court.
Calling on archers to focus on the upcoming Nationals, Rao said things were moving in the right direction in an important year, which has Olympic Qualifiers lined up in the World Championships in June.
The junior nationals are slated to be held in Bhopal from Friday, while the senior nationals will be held next month in Bhubaneswar. “Following the Nationals we will pick the team and appoint a national coach. Things are starting to fall in place. Once it’s settled, they will recognise AAI,” he said.
Rao also mentioned that the national camps will continue at the same venues – the Army Sports Institute in Pune for recurve archers and Sports Authority of India centre in Sonepat for compound.