London Olympics bronze medallist, Gagan Narang | Photo: Express
New Delhi: Gagan Narang, the bronze medallist from the London Olympics, has been named the chef de mission for the forthcoming Paris Olympics by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) following days of impasse. The seat became available after MC Mary Kom stepped down in April. The IOA stated that Gagan's appointment as chef de mission was an automatic result of Mary Kom's decision.
Gagan's appointment signifies that the IOA has stuck to its athletes-for-athletes principle.
Gagan's promotion from deputy chef de mission (at the shooting range) was expected given his sporting accomplishments. “I was looking for an Olympic medallist to lead our contingent and my young colleague is an apt replacement for Mary Kom,” Usha said in a statement, the New Indian Express reported.
The IOA has also chosen a female flag-bearer. PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, will be the other flag bearer, with table tennis standout A Sharath Kamal. Sharath's name was previously announced, along with that of the deputy chef de mission, press attache, and shooting venue deputy chef de mission (Gagan).
Ambiguity persists in the IOA. The EC has its own set of demands. It is thought that a couple of the officials identified by the IOA in the prior announcement do not know when they will leave. The problem of the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is yet to be resolved. It is unclear who will eventually land in Paris as officials.