No Indian flag at Sochi Winter Olympics

sochi

What a shame that the three-member Indian team that is to participate in the Sochi Winter Olympics cannot carry the national flag as India has been suspended by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) due to allegedly corrupt behaviour by India’s members.

The charge sheeted Indian officials included Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) President Suresh Kamladi, Abhay Singh Chautala and Secretary General Lalit Bhanot who spent 11 months in prison following corruption charges against him after the disastrous 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In the following elections after the ban, the IOA again elected the charge sheeted officials, Chautala and Bhanot. This infuriated the apex Olympic body who continued with India’s suspension.

The IOA elected 38 officials contrary to IOC’s clear recommendation not to elect more than 19 officials.

The indifference among  the Indian officials and the unwillingness to leave their prized seats at all cost is so pervasive that they scheduled the re-election for February 9 (a Sunday), two days after the Sochi opening ceremony – without the national flag being  least of their concerns.

How can a country feel proud at the international arena when its athletes play only a second fiddle to the greed of the officials. A shame, indeed!

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