Two Indian sports officials, who were caught in embarrassing situations while in Glasgow were fortunate that charges against them were dropped for lack of evidence. But the behaviour of the two officials has done a signal disservice to the Indian sporting fraternity.
To meet with a road accident may not be uncommon, but to be drunk while driving and to run away from the accident spot is unseemly for a high official like the IOA secretary-general. But given our track record and what IOA officials did in Delhi four years ago, perhaps we should have anticipated errant behaviour.
Indian sporting officialdom was able to save face, with the Scottish authorities not pursuing the cases for lack of clinching evidence. But with the full details of the misadventures and how they were “settled” yet to emerge, the point that such behaviour emphasises is that Indian sports officials have some way to go in learning the basic codes of conduct.
What the duo achieved was to spoil the image of the Glasgow games in the eyes of Indian sportsmen who excelled by winning 15 gold medals. Glasgow put up a show that did it proud, selling 92 per cent tickets, unlike Delhi that was at least 60 per cent empty. Sadly, a major blot was nearly left by Indian officials on India’s moment of glory.
