516 athletes and 163 officials cleared for Asiad
The uncertainty over India’s Asian Games contingent has finally ended with the government clearing a pruned list of 516 athletes and 163 officials for the event.
The clearance came from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after Sports Minister Sarbanand Sonowal had sought assistance in taking a final decision last Thursday.
The list includes 28 disciplines, including football, handball, volleyball and sepak takraw, which were in danger of being dropped.
Instead, several individual athletes have been dropped from the list on the basis of their potential to win medals.
The number is less than the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) recommendation of 935 members, including 662 athletes and 273 coaches and officials, but more than the Sports Authority of India's suggestion of 403 athletes.
India had sent 625 athletes for the 2010 Asian Games with a total haul of 65 medals across 35 events.
“We are grateful for the government for the clearance, even if it has come so late.
“But we are disappointed with the fact that it seems to have given a miss to players’ well-being by dropping managers from the final list.
“With the government deciding against sending additional staff even at no cost to government, coaches will find it difficult to manage everything,” IOA president N. Ramachandran said. Baseball and softball, bowling, fencing, karate, modern pentathlon, rugby, soft tennis, sailing, diving, cricket and triathlon have been excluded from the list.
The SAI had insisted on a minimum of top-six ranking in Asia in individual events and a top-eight presence in team events.
The IOA officials are miffed at the decision to include games like football and handball but cut out on individual participants. “If SAI set a criterion for selection, they should have stuck to it. Otherwise, it appears selective culling of participants.
“On what basis did they clear football, where we have no hope, while reducing the number of shuttlers or lifters, who can win medals?” asked an official.
SAI, however, expressed helplessness. “We stuck to our recommendations but the clearances for handball, volleyball and football came from the PMO. We can’t do anything about it,” officials claimed.
Interestingly, while the IOA has been lambasting the ministry for delay in clearance, the latter has claimed it received the list from IOA on August 21 when it should have been sent at least 90 days in advance, according to rules.
But the Glasgow Commonwealth Games got over only on August 3.
The contingent:
Swimming (7), archery (16), athletics (56), badminton (16), basketball (24), boxing (13), kayaking and canoeing (19), cycling (6), equestrian (11), football (38), golf (7), gymnastics (12), handball (32), hockey (32), judo (4), kabaddi (24), rowing (32), sepak takraw (24), shooting (43), squash (8), taekwondo (2), table tennis (10), tennis (12), volleyball (24), wrestling (18), wushu (8), weightlifting (7), yachting (11).
==================================
