Performances at the Jakarta Asian Games will be the benchmark and non-performing foreign coaches will be removed, head of Sports Authority of India (renamed Sports India), said on Thursday. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has cleared a contingent of 524 athletes for the Games starting August 18.
Neelam Kapur, DG Sports India said after a review meeting in April, some foreign coaches were served notice as the performances of their trainees were not up to the expected level. “Since there were two major back-to-back competitions -- Commonwealth Games and Asian Games -- we didn’t take concrete action as it could have affected training. But certainly after the Asian Games, non-performing coaches will face the exit door,” Kapur said, without revealing names. “There has to be come kind of accountability.”
READ | IOA chief Narinder Batra defends football’s exclusion, says no place for ‘also rans’
There are seven coaches with the athletics team but Yuri Minakov (shot put/ discus) and Alexander Artsybashev (race walking) are under the scanner.
After the Asian Games, the government also plans to prune the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPs) list. Under the scheme, 180 athletes are getting financial assistance. “We have to see how many have the calibre to excel in the 2020 Olympics. Those who have potential will get funding, others will be excluded from the team,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}After the Asian Games, the government also plans to prune the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPs) list. Under the scheme, 180 athletes are getting financial assistance. “We have to see how many have the calibre to excel in the 2020 Olympics. Those who have potential will get funding, others will be excluded from the team,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}READ | Asian Games gold will give India time to be Olympic podium contenders: Harendra Singh
Kapur said the annual budget of National Sports Federations (NSFs) has gone up manifold in some cases, but will be cut. “We will put money where we have potential to win medals in the Olympics,” she said.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president, Narinder Batra, has justified not sending the football teams to the Games. “You have to be at a certain level now. You cannot go there to finish as also rans. You need to be visible. You have to earn your place. Those days when these things were overlooked are gone. There has been criticism, but we are not bothered about that,” he told PTI.