India's sports ministry has cleared a 756-member squad for Asian games to be held in Indonesia. It’s been learnt that the total contingent size now has 572 athletes and 184 coaches and support staff. A total of 48 officials and extra officials haven’t been cleared by the ministry, including the name of Indian Golf Union (IGU) director general Bhibuti Bhushan. It’s been learnt that the names of all accompanying ‘team managers’ in different disciplines have been axed, which comes to more than 20. Some extra officials and those who had applied under the ‘P’ category accreditation in the athletics, equestrian, kurash and sepak takraw disciplines have been dropped.
All officials whose names have been struck off can travel at their own cost. It’s been learnt that the IOA’s sponsors could bear their expenses, but the development could well be a start of another flashpoint between the IOA and ministry. Legendary sprinter PT Usha, who personally trains middle distance runner Tintu Luka and quartermiler Jisna Mathew, features as ‘coach’ in the 400m and 800m discipline of the athletics squad. As far as Usha’s presence is concerned, there’s a feeling in the sports circles that the ‘sprint queen’ of Indian athletics should have ideally been named in the ‘extra official’ or ‘P’ card holder category. A ‘P’ category accredited person isn’t entitled to stay at the Athletes’ Village or enter the competition arena. The holder of the card will have to make his/her own arrangement outside the village and will get a daily pass to visit the training site inside the village.
Like in the case of sprint sensation Dutee Chand. Her personal trainer Nagapuri Ramesh’s name had been sent to the ministry for ‘P’ category accreditation. Similarly, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s personal trainer, Ishan Marwaha, had applied for the ‘P’ category card. Out of Usha’s two protégés in the 51-member athletics squad, only Jisna is confirmed to travel to Jakarta. Tintu will have to appear for a confirmatory trial to prove her timing. Badminton ace Saina Nehwal’s personal trainer and sports medicine expert, Christopher Pedra, too faces the same proprietary question and his name should also have been sent as extra official or for ‘P’ category.
In other cases, it’s been learnt that the name of the only sambo player in the contingent, Srikanth, has been dropped after it was learnt that he is the son of sambo federation’s secretary Deputy Ram Sharma.
