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SAI puts stop on last-minute ticket booking

Over the years, national sports federations (NSFs) have made a habit of booking air tickets at the eleventh hour. This practice has cost the Sports Authority of India (SAI) a lot of money. Not only did officials submit inflated bills, but the official travel agent, Balmer Lawrie, would go for the longest route.

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Over the years, national sports federations (NSFs) have made a habit of booking air tickets at the eleventh hour. This practice has cost the Sports Authority of India (SAI) a lot of money. Not only did officials submit inflated bills, but the official travel agent, Balmer Lawrie, would go for the longest route.

None of this is going to happen again. SAI has issued a directive to all NSFs, directing them to book air tickets at least two months in advance and submit the bills to the special cell within 10 days of the date of booking in order to check this menace.

Indian athletes keep travelling abroad for training and competition. SAI spent around Rs 26.40 crore in 2013-14 (till Nov 30, 2013) and Rs 26.47 crore in 2012-13 on air travel alone, largely due to last-minute booking.

Though the official travel agents are still going to function as usual, SAI director-general Injeti Srinivas has formed a dedicated team of his office-bearers and Balmer Lawrie officials to look into the booking of air tickets, visa issues and complaints of carrying equipment on board.

SAI was prompted to take this decision after two of India's top shooters — Anjali Bhagwat and Heena Sidhu — were forced to spend hours during transit in Bangkok last week after Jet Airways officials denied them permission to board the flight to Mumbai as they were carrying guns after competing in the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.

"There have been complaints from athletes that they always travel through the longest routes and have the worst of schedules. Through this cell which is based out of SAI headquarters, we will ensure that there is no delay in booking of tickets. When the federation knows well in advance that they have to send the team to a particular competition, then there shouldn't be any delay in finalising the programme and booking by the agency. This cell will take also take care of getting visas on time. It's a clean-up act initiated by the SAI," Srinivas said.

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