Rio Olympics: Tarlochan Singh defends son's appointment as CMO

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) vice-president Tarlochan Singh on Wednesday defended his son Pawandeep Singh's appointment as the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian contingent at the ongoing Olympics Games, which is being held in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

Tarlochan's comments came in wake of reports suggesting that Pawandeep, a radiologist by profession, is not proving to be of much help to the Indian athletes in the prestigious quadrennial games and is instead having a leisure junket in Rio.

Tarlochan, who is also the acting president of the Archery Association of India, said that only Chef de Mission has the right to judge his son's performance.

"Dr Pawandeep Singh has gone there as an official doctor of an Indian team because he is the chairman of the medical commission of the IOA. This post of medical commission is registering for last 31 years. He was earlier head of the medical team in the SAF Games in Guwahati and Shillong and a member of the Commonwealth Games Medical Commission," Tarlochan told ANI.

"He has gone there as an official doctor and every performance of the doctor is to be judged by Chef de Mission. He is attending 120 athletes there. We will see when report comes," he added.

According to the reports, the Chief Medical Officer has been giving only Combiflam to the India athletes, who complain of pain, during the ongoing games. Pawandeep Singh's appointment was made by IOA president Narayana Ramachandran.