AIU suspends three archers, coach

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, july 21

The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) on Tuesday suspended three archers and coach Jiwanjot Singh for three years after they were found “guilty” of forfeiting their bronze medal play-off match against Italy in the World University Games in South Korea.

The AIU has barred the men’s compound team archers Gurwinder Singh (Amritsar), Kanwalpreet Singh (Patiala) and Aman (Jaipur) along with Punjabi University (Patiala) head coach Jiwanjot from participating in the Inter-university tournaments and international University Games for the period of three years, starting from current academic year 2015-16 to 2017-18.

The AIU also directed the “erring” archers and the coach to immediately refund the amount spent on their selection, training, playing kits, visas and travel tickets to the AIU as the “Indian delegation was not sent for luxury excursion at the cost of public funding”.

In his letter to Punjabi University vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh, AIU’s joint secretary (Sports) Gurdeep Singh stated that the “unfortunate incident reflected utter negligence of official duty and gross violation FISU’s (International University Sports Federation) code of conduct by the athletes and officials, which led to disrepute, embarrassment and tarnishing the image of India.”

“The inquiry report of the head of the delegation RK Sharma was examined at an appropriate level. After due perusal of the report, it was observed that athletes and an official failed to turn up for participation. Taking a serious view of the incident, it was decided to suspend athletes and the coach for three years,” said the AIU letter.

The letter did not mention the exact reason behind the archers’ no-show at the play-offs, but Gurdeep ruled out the sight-seeing angle.

The Archery Association of India (AAI) has already barred India’s foreign coach Lim Chae Woong, Jiwanjot and another coach Surinder from accompanying teams to international events till the submission of inquiry report.

The preliminary inquiry by the AAI has revealed that there was a “lack of communication” between the coaches and archers which apparently led to the incident.