Ending days of suspense, the government today cleared a drastically pruned-down 679-member Indian contingent, including 516 athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games, with the sports ministry deciding against dropping five disciplines which were facing the axe.
The Indian Olympic Association had submitted to the ministry a proposed contingent of 942 -- 662 athletes and 280 officials -- in 35 disciplines but the government, after consulting the Prime Minister's Office, decided to drop as many as 263 from the list (146 athletes and 117 officials).
India will now take part in the September 19-October 4 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea in 28 disciplines. In the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, India had sent a contingent of 933 -- 609 athletes and 324 officials.
Football, table tennis, handball, basketball and sepaktakraw teams were cleared despite the ministry's earlier plan to drop them, apparently due to pressure from the NSFs and the IOA and also the warning from the Olympic Council of Asia that the country would be penalised if it withdraws from the five disciplines.
Seven disciplines -- Ten Pin Bowling, Fencing, Rugby 7, Modern Pentathlon, Soft Tennis, Triathlon and Beach Volleyball -- were left out from the list sent by IOA. The seven sports accounted for 70 athletes and 33 officials in the IOA list.
The delay in the announcement of the contingent had led to India missing out on the scheduled Delegates Registration Meeting with the Incheon Games Organising Committee, which was held yesterday.
The IOA had made a request to the organising committee to re-schedule the DRM and it is expected to be held on September 12. Without the DRM, none of the athletes and officials will be able to validate their accreditation cards and move into the Games Village.
"We have made a request to re-schedule the DRM on September 11 but now it is most likely to be held on September 12. Two or three (Indian) officials will leave for Incheon tomorrow to begin arrangements for the whole contingent," IOA Secretary General Rajev Mehta told PTI.
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