World Archery warns AAI of suspension, suggests June 24 as new poll date

Kolkata: World Archery on Monday warned the Indian federation AAI of "immediate suspension" if it goes ahead with two separate elections on June 9.

The suspension would mean that the Indian team competing in the World Championships would only be ale to compete under a World Archery flag and not the national flag.

Extending an olive branch to the

de-recognised Archery Association of India (AAI), World Archery (WA) has also appointed its first vice-president Kazi Rajib Uddin Ahmed Chapol as the "mediator" in the process.

Chapol will hold a meeting with the two AAI factions in New Delhi on June 7 in an effort to cancel both the elections and instead hold one election on June 24. The cost of the meeting will also be borne by WA.

"We have reached the cut-off point at which we can no longer continue to support any federation in India unless progress is made," Tom Dielen, World Archery Secretary General, said on the sidelines of WA Congress. "It is our priority to come to a resolution with a member association in India that provides stability and a positive environment for the athletes to succeed internationally, especially with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on the near horizon."

In a rare scenario, AAI's two faction groups — one with former president Vijay Kumar Malhotra and the other with the last chief BVP Rao — has issued two elections notices on June 9, albeit in two different cities of New Delhi and Chandigarh.

Former Jharkhand chief minister and newly-inducted minister in the Narendra Modi government, Arjun Munda is in the fray for the post of president.

While the BJP MP from Khunti has filed his nomination at the New Delhi election, Rao is also seeking to be re-elected from the Chandigarh polls.