Ministry axes half of Winter Asian Games contingent

The friction between the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the sports ministry has ensured that almost half of the contingent for the Asian Winter Games have not been approved by the government.

The sports ministry in a letter dated January 2 has dropped 35 athletes from the list of 76 sent to the ministry for approval. The reason given was a long-standing ministry circular that states that athletes who are internationals or are amongst the top-six in rankings in individual and top-8 in team events would be allowed to travel to the Games at the government’s cost.

Incredibly, the ministry has axed the ice hockey team along with the entire squads in snowboard and ski mountaineering from the list of cleared names for the Games, scheduled to be held in Harbin, China, from February 7 to 14.

On Thursday, IOA president PT Usha took exception to this major decision by the ministry and said that since the winter sports athletes get limited time to train due to lack of snow in India, the ministry could have taken a different view.

“The application of strict selection criteria, such as international participation or being among the top three rankings for individual/team events, is therefore inappropriate for winter sports. Such criteria, if applied, undermine the very purpose of promoting winter sports in the country. Moreover, implementing such requirements just 30 days before the games is unfair to the athletes and contrary to their aspirations,” Usha wrote in her letter to sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“Furthermore, the referenced circular of the ministry outlines that, to be selected, athletes must achieve a rank within top six in individual events or the top eight in team events. Even this criterion was relaxed in 2023 for certain disciplines in the Asian Games 2022 to facilitate broader participation. Therefore, it is reasonable to request a similar reconsideration for winter sports disciplines in the Asian Winter Games 2025,” she added.

Athletes clueless

She has requested the ministry to clear the full contingent to promote winter sports in the country.

“I urge the ministry to revisit its stance and approve the entire contingent of winter sports athletes proposed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Ensuring fair and adequate participation will significantly contribute to the promotion of winter sports in India and align with our shared vision of nurturing and supporting athletes across diverse disciplines,” she opined.

A former athlete told The Tribune that the ministry’s action has broken a few dreams. “The athletes do not know what to do or whom to approach to get approval. We have not received the gear for the athletes and no one knows what is happening on that front as well. We all are at a loss,” he said.