Bindra appointed in panel to pick Indian archery teams

New Delhi, June 20: World Archery on Thursday appointed India's only individual Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra as an "independent person" to oversee a selection panel which will pick the Indian team for the World Youth Championship to be held in Madrid in August.

The world archery body had on Wednesday delisted the national federation – the Archery Association of India – for violating the constitution in unanimously electing two parallel bodies in Chandigarh and New Delhi.

Now, Bindra will be part of the selection panel also consisting of IOA Secretary General, and a representative of the Sports Ministry to pick India's team till a new body is formed and takes charge.

The ban would prevent Indian archers from taking part at any World event including the Asian Archery Championships, an Olympic qualifying meet.

World Archery had given India a month's time to either sort out the imbroglio or face suspension.

It said it will wait till July 31, for the Supreme Court's verdict on the controversial elections of the AAI, before deciding on the AAI's suspension.