IOA rejects centre's latest asiad proposal
Saying the sports ministry's concerns have already been addressed while picking the contingent earlier this month.
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association on Friday rejected the government’s proposal to relax Asian Games selection norms for specific sports, saying the sports ministry’s concerns have “already been addressed” while picking the contingent earlier this month.
The development comes after the ministry, on July 18, had urged the Olympic body to relax selection norms in specific cases concerning athletes or sports who/which could not qualify due to lack of exposure or non-participation in ranking events but have a strong chance of either winning a medal or finishing in the top four.
But the IOA stuck to its earlier criteria of picking up athletes — top six in individual events and top eight in team sports — after a meeting of its core and legal committees.
“The core committee and legal committee of the IOA met today and after detailed discussions and having done complete exercise and those who met the criteria of top six and top eight were accordingly considered and their names have already been forwarded,” IOA president Narinder Batra said in a letter to the sports secretary.