Handball team celebrate official entry to Asian Games
LUCKNOW : Finally, it remained a day of celebration for the Indian men’s handball team at their camp in Faizabad on Wednesday as only on Tuesday evening, the Indian Olympic Association cleared the team for the upcoming Asian Games after the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court intervened.
All the 24 probables and coaches celebrated the IOA’s decision, distributing sweets among them just before the start of the day’s training session. “It’s a big day for all of us and IOA’s decision has boosted the confidence of the side further,” one of the coaches Bhuwan Bhatt said.
It is learnt that initially IOA had denied men’s handball team permission to participate in the Asian Games, starting August 18 at Jakarta (Indonesia). But the Handball Federation of India managed to send its men’s team entry through the Asian Handball Federation.
Even then the authorities concerned refused to send the team, but following a decision of the Allahabad High Court of the Lucknow Bench, the IOA agreed to clear the team for the Asian Games. This could be made possible after five teams opted out and by virtue of that India improved in their ranking.
“We decided to clear men’s handball team for the Asian Games,” IOA secretary-general Rajeev Mehta’s latter states. “After the court decision, it was referred to IOA legal commission which also cleared it. I have written to Asian Games Organising Committee to consider men’s handball team’s official entry in the Asian Games.”
The women’s handball team has already been cleared by the IOA. “We are hopeful of a better show this time as our men team have been doing well in the recent past,” HFI’s secretary general Anandeshwar Pandey said.