IOA sticks to original selection criteria for Asian Games

The Indian Olympic Association has stated it will be making no additions to the contingent of 524 athletes that has been cleared to participate in the 2018 Asian Games.

“The Core Committee and legal committee of the IOA met today (Friday) and, after detailed discussions and having done complete exercise and those who met the criteria of top-6 and top-8 were accordingly considered and their names have already been forwarded,” IOA president Narinder Batra wrote to the sports secretary, Rahul Bhatnagar. (File picture)

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has reiterated that the contingent already cleared for the Asian Games included all eligible names, insisting that the fresh request from the Sports Ministry to consider more potential entries, if any, had been addressed.

The Sports Ministry had, in a letter on Wednesday , asked the IOA to find out if any individuals or teams not satisfying the existing criteria could be considered as possible top-four finishers at the Asian Games. “The Core Committee and legal committee of the IOA met today (Friday) and, after detailed discussions and having done complete exercise and those who met the criteria of top-6 and top-8 were accordingly considered and their names have already been forwarded,” IOA president Narinder Batra wrote to the sports secretary, Rahul Bhatnagar.

A senior IOA official said the ministry’s proposal was discussed in detail but all the suggestions were already covered in the existing criteria. “Our criteria of top-6 in individual events and top-8 for team events are actually more lenient than a possible top-four finish as sought by the ministry,” he said.

The decision closes the door for football's inclusion even though the initial 524-strong list is likely to increase marginally after the inclusion of a three-member Sport Climbing and 24-member Bridge squad.