IOA unhappy at drastic pruning down of Asiad contingent

The Indian Olympic Association today termed the government's decision not to allow officials of the IOA and the NSFs to travel to South Korea for the Asian Games at their own cost as interference to their autonomy.
The IOA also expressed unhappiness at the drastic pruning down of the contingent and said it would again asked the government to re-consider its decision to dropped seven disciplines from the Games.
While clearing a 679-member contingent (516 athletes and 163 officials) as against 942 (662 athletes and 280 officials) proposed by the IOA, the government said only names approved by the ministry will form part of Indian contingent and "no cost to government" will not apply for adding any other name.

IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said that this direction of the sports ministry would amount to interference in the autonomy of the IOA and the NSFs.
"I don't know why the ministry wants to stop the federations if they want to send extra people, whom they may need for the better performance of their athletes, to Incheon. This is clearly an interference to the autonomy of the IOA and the NSFs under Olympic Charter," Mehta told PTI.
Mehta also said that the ministry has struck off several team managers of different disciplines from the list of officials and he would take up the matter with the government tomorrow.

"Several managers were struck off from the list and I don't know how the teams of those disciplines will manage without them in Incheon. I will take up the matter with the ministry tomorrow. Also, I will again request the ministry to include the seven disciplines dropped. The IOA should have cleared a bigger contingent," he said.
The ministry said that accommodation and out of pocket allowance will be paid for a period of actual stay in Games Village subject to the condition that it would be admissible from five days before the commencement of the competition and one day after the event.