Saina Nehwal withdraws from IOC Athletes Commission due to badminton commitments

New Delhi: India’s top shuttler Saina Nehwal will not be able to attend International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Commission meeting next month as she will be preparing for super series tournaments in China and Hong Kong. Saina, who was appointed by the IOC president Thomas Bach as its Athletes Commission member last month, has written to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to convey to the IOC her inability to attend the meeting of the prestigious body. [caption id=“attachment_3072536” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Saina Nehwal will be appearing in the super series’ in China and Hong Kong. AP[/caption] “I have been invited to attend very important maiden IOC athletes Commission meeting at Lausanne from 6-11 November 2016, but I am not joining there because of my earlier commitments to play in China and Hong Kong coinciding the prestigious meeting. If any feedback related to our subject, may please apprise me so that it may be conveyed to IOC,” Saina said in the letter addressed to IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta. China Super Series Premier will be held from 15-20 November and Hong Kong Open Super Series from 22-27 November . Saina, who won a bronze in women’s singles in the 2012 London Olympics, said she was proud to have been made a member of the IOC’s Athletes Commission. “It is my proud privilege to write that I was appointed as IOC Athletes Commission Member by president IOC, Thomas Bach and I will be working in Athletes commission with Ms Angela Ruggiero the chair IOC Athletes Commission. I am glad to be associated with Olympics IOC Athletes Commission,” she said. Regarding the role she wants to play as member of the IOC Athletes Commission, she said, “I am from India, a badminton player where a lot is to be done for the promotion of Olympics particularly for women, though during this year the share of women at Rio 2016 Olympics was cent percent for India. PV Sindhu (silver), Sakshi Malik (bronze) in wrestling and Deepa’s performance in gymnasts are the landmarks in this chapter of Olympics.” In a rare honour for an Indian sportspersons, Saina was appointed as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission last week. The Commission is chaired by American ice hockey Olympian Angela Ruggiero and comprises nine vice-presidents and 10 other members.