Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra was appointed as a member of the prestigious Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), on Thursday.
The rare honour made Bindra only the second Indian after badminton star Saina Nehwal (appointed in October 2016) to be appointed to the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, which aims to uphold the athletes’ viewpoint in all decisions.
“Humbled and privileged to be appointed a member of the @Olympics Athlete’s commission. Look forward to work hard for the athletes and the Olympic movement!” Bindra wrote on Twitter shortly after the news was announced.
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Bindra, who remains India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, after winning the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Games, shared the IOC letter on his social media page.
“As every year and as per recommendation 40 of the Olympic Agenda 2020, I have reviewed in consultation with the Chairs the scope and composition of the IOC Commissions. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I appoint you as a member of the Athletes’ Commission,” IOC president Thomas Bach had said in the letter addressed to Bindra.
He also mentioned the composition of the Commission and when the meetings were going to be held. “As you are aware, due to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October this year, please note that the Commissions’ meetings for 2018 will exceptionally take place from 14 to 20 January 2019.
“For 2019, we will go back to the previous schedule with the review of the composition of the Commissions in spring and the Commission,” said the letter from IOC.
In 2014, Bindra was elected chairman of the International Shooting Sports Federation’s (ISSF) Athletes Committee, becoming the first Indian to receive the honour. Two years later he failed agonisingly close to winning a bronze at the Rio Olympics.