Abhinav Bindra questions TOPS selection process

Questioning the frequent addition and dropping of many seasoned athletes from the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme, Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra also called for accountability from the athletes with consistent performances.

Bindra, who on Saturday celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Beijing Olympic gold in men’s 10 metre Air Rifle, by releasing a video with leading technology and digital innovation company JetSynthesys, conceded that athletes have be monitored over a period of time.

“Accountability is required from everyone, not only from the administrators but also from the athletes. At the end of the day, it’s the performance that matters.

“Athletes have to accountable to performance. Performance in sports is a process that is tedious,” Bindra said.

“Since I am not part of the committee anymore, I don’t know who has been added or dropped. I haven’t been following what’s happening but there must be some procedures and protocols put into place which are being followed. Obviously you can’t pick and choose so quickly but has to be monitored over a period of time,” he added.

Bindra recently became only the second Indian after London Olympics bronze medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal, to be appointed member of the prestigious Athletes Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Asked to comment on his new role, the 35-year-old said: “It’s not just a personal recognition but it’s the result of the hard work that we all have done with the ISSF.”