Officials’ mistake costs para-athletes
Para-athletes unable to compete at Olympic qualifers as Sports Authority of India fails to send entries in time
CHANDIGARH: The 24- member Indian para- athlete team, in Dubai for the Fazza IPC Athletics Championship, is having a harrowing time. After spending money from their pockets to participate in the event, the last qualifying event for the Rio Olympics, the organisers refused to entertain them, as the Sports Authority of India ( SAI) failed to forward their entries before the deadline.
The tournament is starting on March 17, while the two-day qualification process started on March 15. Only after getting approval from the qualification committee — which approves the degree of disability of athletes and allocates them categories — an athlete can participate in the event. No Indian athlete was allowed in the qualification process on Tuesday and if the issue is not sorted by Wednesday, the contingent will not be able to compete in the four-day event. “We have been here since yesterday morning and till now we are clueless. The organisers told us that they haven’t received our entries, but we deposited the required documents with SAI during the trials in Gandhinagar and also emailed them our details,” said a para-athlete who hails from Rajasthan.
“We faced a lot of hardships arranging for funds and if we are not allowed to compete, it will be a big monetary loss, and we will miss the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics. The para-athletes are going to suffer because of someone else’s carelessness,” added another player.
Ever since the International Paralympics Committee suspended the Paralympics Committee of India in November last year, SAI is taking care of the affairs of the para- athletes and participation entries are being routed through them.
The selection trials were held in early January at SAI centre Gandhinagar and 36 players were shortlisted. After the government’s refusal to fund the trip, only 24 managed to arrange the money. Each player had to shell out ` 80,000 for boarding, lodging and travelling.
“Even our licenses approved by the inter national body, which are mandatory to compete in international events, have not reached us… only two players have got them. We are waiting, because only after we receive them can we go for the classification event,” said an athlete.
“We don’t know what has really happened, but we are in touch with the international body and trying to solve the issue,” said a senior SAI official in the Teams division who didn’t not want to be identified.
SA I executive director, Teams, Sudhir Sethia, said, “I am not aware of the issue.”
SINCE THE SUSPENSION OF THE PARALYMPICS COMMITTEE OF INDIA LAST YEAR, SAI HAS BEEN OVERSEEING THE AFFIARS