NEW DELHI: Former India sprinter Ashwini Nachappa on Wednesday claimed that she withdrew from contesting the Indian Olympic Association's Sportspersons of Merit (SOMs) elections under "external pressure", and hinted that the polls lack transparency.
She did not provide any details regarding the source of the pressure and the manner in which she was asked to withdraw from the IOA SOM elections held virtually on Monday. The 59-year-old Nachappa was one of the original 11 candidates for the four seats of female SOMs who would be eligible to vote and to stand as candidates in the IOA's Executive Council polls on December 5.
"I was asked to pull out. All those who withdrew were asked to withdraw under external pressure. It wasn't voluntary, I can say that much... that speaks volumes about transparency," she told PTI. "And that is so sad. For me, I think whatever it may be, you cannot demean an athlete of a stature. Winning or losing is immaterial," she lamented.
"I thought things have changed, but I think things remain what it was 30 years back when I was competing." Nachappa competed in two Asian Games. She won 4x400m gold medals in the 1985, 1987 and 1991 Asian Championships. She won a silver medal each in the individual 200m and 4x100m relay in the 1989 Asian Championships. The elections for the four female SOMs happened on Monday with six former athletes in the fray, despite the pulling out of five candidates, including Nachappa.
Asked why she did not stick on and fight the SOM elections, Nachappa said, "All of us attempt to bring changes (in Indian sports). I thought of giving some contribution to Indian sports. Fairness or fair play was what I expected. If the opportunity came and if there was fairness, I would have stayed on. But sadly the very ethics and values of Olympic sport has been erased completely, I though there was no point (fighting the SOM elections)."
