NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has proposed a boycott of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games over the exclusion of shootings and asked the government to approve it. In a letter to Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju, IOA President Narender Batra has sought time to meet him to discuss the proposal to this effect.
Earlier, the Indian Olympic Association withdrew its name from the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly which is scheduled to be held in Rwanda in September. The IOA had also withdrawn the names of Rajiv Mehta for the post of Regional Vice President and Namdev Shirgaonkar as a member of the Sports Committee. While proposing a boycott of the 2022 Games, IOA President Batra denounced the CGF for its "anti-India mentality".
He also said that every time India performs well, there is an attempt to change the rules. He also said that India is not a slave to any country. "We propose to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games so that the Commonwealth Games Federation understands that the anti-India mindset will no longer run," IOA chief Batra wrote in the letter.
People with a particular mindset in the CWG have to understand that India was liberated in 1947 and no longer enslaved. India is the fifth-largest economy in the world and also a fast-growing economy. "We have been seeing for a long time that whenever India starts to catch up on sports, there is an attempt to change the rules. Now, we have to ask tough questions and take stringent steps. Batra said that since the IOA cannot take such a big decision, he has sought time to meet the Sports Minister.
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