Denied Drona, national archery coach Teja quits

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

National compound archery coach Jiwanjot Singh Teja has resigned after blaming the Sports Minister for dropping his name from the Dronacharya Award recommendation list.

Teja also said that he shall not coach the Indian team ever again, or apply for any kind of awards in the future. “It’s been three years that I am struggling to get what I deserve. Not only me, players like Bajrang Punia also have to move the court for getting his award,” said Teja, referring to Bajrang’s announcement that he would go to courts after being denied the Khel Ratna award.

“I am hereby resigning from my duties as the national compound archery coach. It’s disheartening but I have accepted now that our Sports Minister is no more an Armyman or a former sportsperson, he is now a hardcore politician,” Teja said. Teja said he tried to meet Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, but his request for a meeting was ignored. 

‘What indiscipline?’

Teja’s name was removed from the list of Dronacharya Award recommendations allegedly due to “indiscipline” over a past case. The Indian men’s compound team had forfeited its bronze medal play-off against Italy in the World University Games in South Korea in 2015. The team did not turn up for the match, and Teja was blamed and banned for one year by the Archery Association of India and the Association of Indian Universities. Teja has said repeatedly that he can’t be blamed for the forfeit because the timing of the match had been changed. “The chef-de-mission knew about the change in timings but he did not inform us,” Teja said two days ago. 

‘Why appoint me coach?’

Teja said if there are complaints of indiscipline against him, the government should not have appointed him the Indian coach. “Why would the government or any of their competent authorities appoint me coach if I am facing charges of indiscipline?” said Teja. “Also, if the awards committee is recommending my name and the Director General (SAI) had cleared my name, then why was I the only one to get dropped from the list?” “Things have to be explained somewhere. The ban on me was lifted in 2015, and since then I am coaching the Indian side,” he said.