World Archery may lift AAI's suspension after observing elections

The Archery Association of India (AAI) is all set to host elections on January 18, for which World Archery (WA) has decided to send an observer. If all goes well, the apex body will also lift the AAI’s suspension.

The world body has held discussions with the Indian Olympic

Association president Narinder Batra and decided to send World Archery Asia 1st

vice-president, Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol, as the observer.

“Following his report, the WA executive committee will consider the next steps, which if things go well, could include a conditional lifting of the suspension,” read the letter written by WA secretary general Tom Dielen. This was written to Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol, the observer who will be sent by WA.

Coincidentally, it was Chapol’s report which had led to AAI’s

suspension. In June, he had been sent as a mediator between Chandigarh and

Delhi factions to try and convince persuade them to hold one election.

World Archery is also hopeful that things will change for the better and Indian archery will enter new dawn.

The decision to suspend the Archery Association of India was taken by World Archery during its extraordinary board meeting in June 2019 itself. The AAI had been given time till July 31st to come up with a solution but since no progress was made, World Archery decided to implement the suspension decision. World Archery has suspended Archery Association of India due to factionalism in the body. Two opposing archery factions was created in India, led by Union Minister Arjun Munda and BVP Rao. There has been confusion over which one of the two is the legitimately-elected body.