The Karate Association of India's (KAI) general secretary Ambedkar Gupta has said that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra has threatened to throw Karate out of India.
Gupta said he had a difference of opinion with the KAI's president Likha Tara regarding which he wrote to Tara. Gupta then added that the matter reached to Batra after which the latter called him and threatened to 'throw Karate out of India'.
"Everyone used to say that there is infighting within the IOA, they make respective federations go against each other, but no one used to do anything. I have taken the step to speak about it, after that Narinder Batra threatened me but I am speaking against that as well," Gupta told .
"He doesn't want any interference in IOA but he keeps on interfering in other federations. I make correspondence with the president of the Karate Association of India. It was my internal matter as there was a difference of opinion with my president. This matter then reached Narinder Batra, he then called me, and what happened was shocking. IOA is an umbrella association, in the audio, he said to me that he will throw Karate out of India. Thousands and lakhs of people are associated with karate," he added.
Gupta further stated that he has filed a written complaint to the general secretary of IOA and to the sports ministry.
However, denying all the allegation against him, Batra said the clipping is not a 'complete or correct depiction' of the conversation they had.
"The clipping appears in the section of people is not a complete or correct depiction of the conversation we had. This is a mischievous act to reflect misleading facts made with the ulterior motive of projecting me in poor light," Batra said.
Batra then appealed to all officials and members of the IOA "to shun infighting, and work collaboratively towards the best interests of athletes and development of their respective sports."
( With inputs from ANI )