NEW DELHI: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has come down hard on 13 national sports federations (NSFs) for their failure to assign a female coach and support staff with their team contingent for the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou.
The SAI, in a circular issued Tuesday to federations violating the government’s guidelines concerning the safety of women athletes during foreign trips, has directed them to send a revised contingent list which includes at least one female coach/support staff member for the same discipline.
The NSFs identified are bridge, chess, golf, gymnastics, soft tennis, wushu, kurash, break dance, volleyball, sports climbing, roller skating, swimming and equestrian.
“It was observed by the competent authorities that the SAI issued guidelines regarding safety of women in national coaching camps and international exposures were not being followed by 13 NSFs and that names of female coach/support staff was missing from the contingent list given by them,” the SAI said in an email to NSFs, a copy of which is in possession of TOI.
“Thus, they have been directed to send a revised contingent list which includes at least one female coach/support staff member for the same discipline. They have also been instructed that the above is to be done within the number for team officials scoped by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and not over and above the same,” the circular added.
SAI rubbishes Dipa Karmakar’s allegations
The SAI on Wednesday sought to counter gymnast Dipa Karmakar’s allegations that she was deliberately ignored for final selection for the Asian Games, despite topping the selection trials held in Bhubaneswar on July 11 and 12.
“She had topped in selection trials wherein she scored 47.05 in all-around and 12.333 on vaulting table. As per the guidelines issued by the sports ministry, in the recent trials, her score was only 47.15, which if compared with the performance of all participating gymnasts in Asian Games 2018 would correspond to the 21st place, while her performance in the vault table yielded an average score of 12.333 (calculated as an execution score average from both vaults) during the trials which would have positioned her in the 17th place,” the SAI clarified.
Dipa had also alleged that Pranati Nayak was favoured for selection even though she didn’t participate in the trials. “Pranati doesn’t qualify based on her achievement in the last 12 months when compared to the score of the eighth-position holder of the Asian Games 2018. However, as per the latest edition of scoring system of gymnastics which was promulgated after 2021 Olympics, two competitions at Asian level have been conducted wherein her performance has been as follows: bronze medallist with 13.367 in 2022 event and eighth-place with a score of 12.733 in 2023 event.”
