Xtra Time Web Desk: India Olympic Association (IOA) does not seem to have changed as far as the selection of the Indian contingent is concerned. The official list of the Indian contingent is certain to raise eyebrows with mom, personal coaches, kin of athletes getting selected. The IOA has named fencer Bhavani Devi’s mother, C.A. Sundharaman Ramani, in the four-member fencing contingent. She has been picked as the team manager. Table Tennis ace Manika Batra will also have her ‘personal coach’ Sanmay Paranjape during her training and matches in Tokyo. Despite making several requests, World No 1 boxer Amit Panghal will not have his personal coach Anil Dhankar by his side in Tokyo.
There was a lot of controversy when tennis ace Sania Mirza was accompanied by her mother Naeema during the London Olympics. She was chosen as the team manager. Not to forget Saina Nehwal threatened to pull out of the 2018 Commonwealth Games following the denial of permission to her father Harvir Singh to stay inside the Village.
Looking at the earlier incidents, IOA formulated a ‘no-parents’ policy for the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. However, for Tokyo, the IOA seemed to have dropped the policy to satisfy the athletes.
Boxer May Kom and shuttler Sai Praneeth will have their personal coaches with them in Tokyo. However, Praneeth’s Indonesian coach Agus Dwi Santoso will not be allowed to stay in the Olympics village.
The IOA had formulated a ‘In tennis – No coach to accompany the women’s doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina: Tennis coach and former national champion Zeeshan Ali’s name is missing from the list.
Similarly, in shooting, the names of chief foreign air pistol coach Pavel Smirnov, and pistol coach Jaspal Rana have found no mention.