“They followed the process” - Abhinav Bindra on NRAI excluding Rudrankksh Patil from Paris Olympics 2024 squad
India's first Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra hailed the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for the exclusion of 10m air rifle shooter Rudrankksh Patil from India’s 15-member contingent for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Notably, Rudrankksh Patil secured the 10m air rifle quota for the quadrennial event. However, he couldn’t find a place in the final squad announced by the NRAI for the mega event in Paris as he ended up behind Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta in the Olympic Selection Trials (OST).
Importantly, according to the Olympic guidelines, a nation can send only the top two shooters in one event from trials to the Summer Games.
Abhinav Bindra attended the Convocation Ceremony at the International Institute of Sports & Management (IISM) on Thursday, June 13. Speaking about Patil’s exclusion from the squad, he said:
“See, it’s not a call. It’s a matter of selection. There’s a due process laid out and they followed the process. You’ll ask the same question in case the process was not followed. But a fair process was put out for everybody, and it was followed.”
“We need a clear process” - Abhinav Bindra
Furthermore, India's 2008 Olympics gold medalist Abhinav Bindra backed NRAI’s decision to have a clear system and process in place before finalizing the contingent for the mega event. He added that it’s natural that a few athletes will be disappointed.
“I think credit the federation for following the process. I think, as athletes, what do we need? We need a clear system. We need a clear process and we need that clear system and policies followed,” he said.
“That is what has been done, which I think is fair. You know, when you (an athlete) make (it to the Olympics), when (another) athlete doesn’t make it, there will be a few who will be disappointed. It is natural. It is fair. It is a normal thing,” he went on to emphasize.
Additionally, the event was also attended by Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla, who addressed the 170 students who received their certificates and insisted on the fact that ‘the knowledge and skills acquired by these graduates will be pivotal in professionalizing sports management in India.’
Nilesh Kulkarni, the former India cricketer and the founder of IISM, emphasized that their ‘mission has always been to provide top-notch education and training to individuals passionate about sports.’