Amid AAI conflict, archery selection trials might delay

In a latest development, the President of Archery Association of India (AAI), Arjun Munda, wrote a letter to Sports Authority of India (SAI) voicing his criticism for organising archery trials for upcoming international events without adequate notice to the archers. The selection trials for both recurve and compound archers, announced by SAI, have been kept in Sonepat from August 7 to 11. Twelve top archers in each category will be shortlisted as probables for the national coaching camps and international competitions. However, SAI informed the archers regarding the trials by mail on July 29. Owing to such delay, the archers only got a week’s time to get office clearances and finalise their travel plans. Munda has criticised SAI for giving this sudden short notice. He has also pointed out that from the poor archers hailing from Northeast and South India will have difficulties in travelling to Sonepat at the eleventh hour. Not only Munda, but many archers have also written letters to SAI's Director General. Ace archers Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai, Deepika Kumari, L Bombayla Devi and Jyothi Surekha want the trials to be postponed. The newly appointed Director General of SAI, Sandip Pradhan, is supposed to take charge on Thursday, and a final decision on the dates could be taken after that. Such a development comes amid conflict within AAI. The Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing regarding the dual elections conducted by two warring factions of the AAI to August 2. Delhi High Court adjourns hearing regarding AAI's conflicting dual elections to August 2. The deadline set by the world body to take a call on suspension was July 31. A response is awaited from the World Archery which had earlier de-listed AAI as a member and threatened to suspend and not allow Indian archers to compete in international competitions if the court does not give an order by July 31. With less than a year to go for the Olympics, the Indian women's team is yet to book a quota place for Tokyo 2020, while the men have secured qualification at the World Championships in Netherlands in June.