Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and other athletes launched an online campaign to free IOA of corruption.
IOC wants Indian Olympic Association to amend its constitution so that people with criminal charges against them are not eligible to contest elections even as the IOA is not keen to do that. IOA is ready to bar only convicted people from contesting elections.
"Ethics in sport and sports administration are non-negotiable, and cannot be 'compromised' in any manner whatsoever. As long as sport in this country is not governed in an ethical and fair manner, I strongly believe this ban will, rightly so, continue to stay," Bhupathi, who is also part of the campaign, said in a statement.
"Abhinav spearheaded this campaign to show solidarity in our beliefs and it is encouraging to see that the campaign has not only gained momentum amongst sportspersons, but also the masses. This is a baby step in the right direction and we look forward on building from here," Bhupathi added.