Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra expressed support for the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI)’s decision on team selection for the Paris Olympics, despite shooter Rudrankksh Patil missing out. Bindra emphasized that Olympic quotas belong to the country, not individual athletes.

Patil, who secured a 10m air rifle quota for the Paris Games, was not included in India’s 15-member squad after finishing behind Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta in the selection trials. According to Olympic guidelines, only the top two shooters from trials can represent a country in an event.

Bindra acknowledged Patil’s talent and called his exclusion unfortunate but stressed the importance of adhering to selection criteria set by the NRAI. This decision aims to field the strongest possible team for the quadrennial event, ensuring India’s competitiveness on the global stage.

The controversy underscores the complexities of Olympic selection processes and the competitive nature of sports. Bindra’s stance supports the NRAI’s efforts to uphold fairness and meritocracy in selecting athletes who will represent India at prestigious international competitions like the Olympics.