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What's the story?
The Indian athletes can finally heave a sigh of relief after the Ministry Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports approved a 325-member contingent for the CWG 2018. Finding itself immersed in controversy and at the receiving end of backlash for trimming down the number of officials being sent to Gold Coast, the government has finally given its much-needed nod of approval.
The Indian contingent travelling to Australia now comprises of 221 athletes, 58 coaches, 7 managers, 17 doctors and physiotherapists and the 22 extra officials.
In case you didn't know...
The Commonwealth Games 2018 is set to start on the 4th of April and will continue until the 15th. It will be held at the Gold Coast city in Australia.
The heart of the matter
This good news comes days after the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Narinder Batra conveyed his displeasure at the send-off ceremony. He stated that the issues being created by the government over the list of officials being sent for the CWG were unjustified because every member of the contingent had a crucial part to play in the performance of the athletes.
The names of all the extra officials were struck off the list, adding to his displeasure, because ultimately the approval lay in the hands of the government.
Therefore, the approval by the government has proved to be a breather for the entire continent. Now, individually, Athletics will include 31 participants, Shooting will have 27 participants, while weight-lifting includes 16 and wrestling,12, according to reports.
What's next?
Now that the entire 325-strong contingent has been given clearance by the government, it will be interesting to see how many feathers the Indian athletes will be able to add to their caps in Gold Coast.
Author's take
Days after the Indian contingent controversy was brought to light by the IOA, it is a refreshing change to see the government look into matters and make changes where necessary, for the betterment of Indian sports.
