SAI steps into gymnastics crisis, forms seven-member committee

In the absence of a recognised gymnastic federation, the Sports Authority of India has took the onus on itself and formed a high-level committee to provide the country's gymnasts best training facilities and prepare them for next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Administrative wrangling and lackadaisical attitude of the two disaffiliated federations have cost the gymnasts dear in the last two years, which led to them participating in two separate senior nationals at Allahabad and Rai and missing four World Cups last year.
The SAI has now intervened and formed a committee, under the chairmanship of its Director General Jiji Thomson, to prepare the Indian team for the CWG in Glasgow, Scotland and Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

The committee members include Ram Niwas (government observor), G S Bawa (former chief coach, NIS Patiala), Dr D K Rathore (national coach and Dronacharya awardee), Dr Kalpana Debnath (Arjuna awardee), Rupali Singh (Arjuna awardee), Radhika Shreemal and Roque Dais (SAI) apart from Thomson.
The committee, which was formed in April last month, has been mandated to identify and prepare a list of probables for the two quadrennial events and provide the gymnasts with best training facilities by holding preparatory camps for them.
"The committee will look after the preparations for CWG and Asian Games as the players are suffering because of the infighting between the two federations. We have submitted a proposal to the SAI where we have given them the list of probables, date (May 25) to commence the preparatory camp and choice of venues for the camp -- Delhi, Gealior, Kolkata and Patiala," a committee member told PTI.

"The infighting had cost India's best gymnast Ashish Kumar a chance to represent the country at the London Olympics last year because the GFI did not push for a wild card entry for him. We don't want Ashish and other gymnasts to suffer further because of the administrative wrangling," the member added.