Arbitrary exclusion of several Indian sports teams from Asian Games leaves everyone perplexed

Indian Rugby team at a training session (File photo)

Indian sports ministry suddenly decides that a bunch of athletes will not be allowed to represent their country

The Asian Games will get underway in just over a week from now at Incheon in South Korea. All the athletes are training hard so that they find themselves on the top step of the podium. However, there are athletes who were informed very late in the day by the Indian sports ministry that they cannot participate in the games.

The Indian contingent has been pruned from 942 to 679; it now consists of 516 athletes and 163 members of the coaching and support staff. Those numbers have been scaled down from the original list of 662 athletes and 280 officials. This means that India are now participating in 28 disciplines as against 35 at the last Asian Games in Guangzhou.

The sports which have been left out include rugby, modern pentathlon, softball, bowling, baseball, soft tennis, sailing, fencing, triathlon, karate and cricket. We caught up with Nasser Hussain, General Manager, Rugby India to get his views on the whole debate.

Recent performances not taken into account while making the decision

Nasser says, “The criteria mentioned to us was that you should have finished inside the top 8 in case of a team event and within the top 6 for the individual event in the last edition of the Asian Games.

And how did India’s rugby teams perform at the 2010 games? “Both the men’s and the women’s team had finished 7th in the last Asiad. I do not know why we did not make it through despite being in top 8,” Nasser says in a bemused tone.

This, of course, leaves out the possibility that the sports ministry had left out the rugby team because of any shortcomings in the teams’ recent showings. “Only the performances of the team at the last Asian Games were considered,” affirms Nasser.

Sports ministry lacked the courtesy to even formally inform the affected associations

Nasser can’t hide his disappointment at the news. “It is a huge setback for all of us to miss out on such a big event. We are answerable to the governing body on what’s happening with the sport in the country. We were confident of doing well in the games and we certainly percieve it as a missed opportunity,” he rues.

What makes things worse is that neither the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) nor the sports ministry bothered to formally inform the associated teams and associations of their decision.

“A reporter got in touch with us and let us know that we will not be going to Incheon. It is only through media that we got to know about this development,” Nasser says.

Nothing much the abandoned athletes can do now

Nasser believes the rugby payers will take this disappointment on the chin and move on. “They are experienced athletes and understand the fact that it is not in our hands after a certain point. We will continue to train hard as lot of important tournaments are lined up in the near future,” he promises.

But that doesn’t mean his association is going to accept things lying down. “We have written a letter to the Sports ministry asking a detailed explanation on this issue. We are waiting for their response. Only then, can we think of other steps,” he says stoically.

“We just need an explanation from them as to why the team wasn’t allowed to participate despite meeting the criteria,” Nasser finishes.

Rugby players are not the only ones left to twiddle their thumbs

Just like the country’s rugby head, the secretary of the national federation of modern pentathlon is also perplexed with the development. "How can they stop us from participating in the Games,” asks Namdeo Shirgaonkar, secretary of Modern Pentathlon and a member of IOA's Executive Council.

“If they wanted to have a criteria for clearing a team, then they should have made the norms public a year or two earlier. You can't decide the criteria so late,” he adds. "Players have worked hard for a year and how can they ridicule their efforts this way. We are a young body and were participating in the Asian Games for the first time with an eye of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. I will discuss the issue with IOA officials but if they still stop us then we will move the court," Shirgaonkar finished.

One thing’s for sure: the Indian sports ministry and the IOA have a lot of explaining to do.