IOA not intimidated by World Archery, says AAI polls will be held on June 9

Kolkata: The Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday said it was not intimidated by World Archery's threats to suspend Archery Association of India and insisted that AAI elections would be held on June 9 as per schedule.

The World Archery has warned the AAI of "immediate suspension" if the two factions go ahead with two separate elections in New Delhi and Chandigarh on June 9.

Any suspension would mean that the Indian team for the next week's World Championships may only be able to compete under a World Archery flag and not the national flag.

The WA also had stepped in to resolve the long-standing fight by the two factions by appointing a "mediator" and proposed a common election on June 24. But IOA president Narinder Batra has shot off a mail to the rival groups — Sunil Sharma and Maha Singh — firmly stating that an IOA observer will attend the elections being held in New Delhi on June 9.

"IOA respects the law of the land and the Olympic movement and will not be intimidated by the threats by World Archery for athlete's participation and de-recognition of NSF," Batra stated. "Without prejudice, IOA will protect and defend all the rights of its athletes and if any damages are suffered by any Indian athlete the

World Archery will be liable for all the consequences," he wrote in the mail, with copies to WA secretary

general Tom Dielen, sports minister Kiren Rijiju and all the affiliated AAI units. Accusing World Archery of bias, Batra further wrote: "IOA is feeling that World Archery is ill informed/misinformed about the facts. This attitude shows bias in the mind of World

body to support one of the two factions, but we in IOA have decided to strictly go by merits."