The three Indian athletes competing in next month’s Winter Olympics will do so under the Olympic flag, rather than the Indian flag, according . The decision follows a December 2012 IOC suspension of the Indian Olympic Association stemming from corruption charges against multiple officials.
The IOC has pledged to lift the suspension after the IOA holds new elections, but the India will not hold its next general assembly until February 9, two days after the Sochi games begin.
The Indian athletes reacted disdainfully, with 32-year-old luger and Olympic veteran Shiva Keshavan calling the development “shameful and pathetic.” His countrymen, Himanshu Thakur and Nadeem Iqbal, will compete in the men’s giant slalom and cross-country skiing, respectively.
Other recent examples of athletes competing independently include a South Sudanese marathon runner in London and the East Timor delegation in Sydney.