Muristek
Vinayak Padmadeo
New Delhi, February 1
Arif Mohammad Khan will not be walking alone with the Indian flag during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Games. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to send a four-member team to assist India's sole participant at the Games.
The Sports Ministry had approved a six-member delegation, including Arif, on Friday. But only five have been approved at government's cost.
"As per norms of the Organising Committee Beijing 2022, athlete plus four members can stay inside the Games. Mr Arif Mohd Khan, athlete, Mr Harjinder Singh Chef-de-mission and Mr Ludar Chand Thakur, coach will stay inside the Village. IOA may decide accordingly, which one member among the remaining three members will stay inside the Village," the letter to IOA stated.
Harjinder Singh, who was chef-de-mission at the 2018 Games, returns as the chef-de-mission. Harjinder is the secretary general of Ice Hockey Association of India.
Ludar Chand Thakur, a former international skier, is the official alpine coach. He is a part of the Indian ski and snowboard federation. Mohamad Abbas Wani, who has coached Arif, has been named as the team official.
The official team technician named in the delegation, Puran Chand, who was to take care of the equipment, and Roop Chand Negi, who is the secretary general of the ski and snowboard federation, have decided to not travel with the team. Negi said that the reason for the decision is their involvement in the upcoming ski and snowboard National Championships.
'Competent people needed'
Six-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan said more than the number the IOA had the task to send competent people in the delegation. "It is not as if athletes don't need officials. The only thing I will say is that these appointments should have been done a lot earlier. Also we need to ensure that only competent people are sent as part of the official delegation," Keshavan said. Keshavan has thrown his hat to become a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission, election for which will be held during the Beijing Winter Games.