Indians denied entry to Athletes Village for non-payment of accommodation fee

The Indian contingent for the Asian Para Games was refused entry to the Athletes Village in Jakarta for a few hours on Monday by the organisers as the necessary payment was not done on time.

A top official of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) said that the para-athletes were initially denied entry when they arrived at the Games Village as the Sports Ministry had not till then cleared funds to the tune of USD 2.5 lakh.

The PCI officials then gave an undertaking that the payment will be done by October 4 and only then the athletes were allowed entry to the Games Village. The Asian Para Games begins at Jakarta on October 6.

PCI vice-president Gursharan Singh, who is accompanying the Indian contingent in Jakarta, said, unlike the Asian Games (for ablebodied athletes) held in August, the participating teams for the Para Games will have to make payments for accommodation, competition, registration, among others.

“Each country will have to pay for accommodation of its athletes at the Games Village, pay competition and registration fee, etc.

“So, we have to pay around USD 2.5 lakh for the contingent of around 300. We came here without the funds and we had problems in going into the Games Village,” Gursharan said from Jakarta.

“We had to give an undertaking that we will pay the amount by October 4. If we do not make the payment, we may be told to vacate our accommodation at the Games Village,” he added.