No excuses on funding, time to implement: Sports ministry lays down law in Asiad review

The Sports Ministry and Minister Mansukh Mandaviya laid down the law for the country’s sports federations during the Asian Games review. The minister said he would not tolerate further complaints about funding and they would have to start delivering results on the ground.

India’s lower-than-expected medal tally in high-yielding disciplines such as athletics and badminton was on Thursday reviewed in a review of the country’s Asian Games performance by the sports ministry here. questions regarding injured athletes traveling to mega events.

The meeting was chaired by Sports Minister Mandaviya and attended by Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha, Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) CEO NS Johal and representatives of National Sports Federations (NSFs).

The review also sought to plan ahead for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

India won 85 medals, including 21 gold, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, significantly less than the 106 medals achieved in the previous edition in Hangzhou, China.

“The minister has made it clear that there is no dearth of resources and NSFs can no longer complain about financial support. Federations must deliver results. They must not only give presentations but deliver results on the spot,” a top official present at the meeting told PTI.

“But there were no big fireworks. The federations presented their observations and the minister asked them to plan ahead.”

It is reliably learned that injuries to key athletics stars like hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel, which were stunningly exposed during the Games, were brought to Usha’s attention when Athletics Federation of India (AFI) advisor Adille Sumariwalla presented her performance analysis.

“At this point, the minister intervened that instead of specific cases, she should focus on the analysis of overall performance,” the source said.

Even the fitness status of star runner Avinash Sable was under scrutiny after he did not start the 5000m race after finishing fourth in his favorite event – the 3000m steeplechase. He was the defending champion in the 3000m steeplechase and Hangzhou won silver in the 5000m race.

Overall, the number of golds in athletics has decreased from six to one this time. The overall haul in the event was also down with 24 medals, five less than at the previous Games.

Later, a press release issued by the sports ministry also said that Mandaviya urged the NSF to ensure a steady flow of young talent forward.

“How long will Mirabai Chanu alone win medals for us? We need to produce 10 more Mirabai Chanu. Every federation must take this responsibility seriously.”

“We need to identify talent, provide proper training and create an environment where athletes can progress to the highest level,” said Mandaviya, referring to the Manipuri weightlifter who won silver in Aichi-Nagoya.

Mandaviya also stressed the need for more sports psychologists, sports science experts and high-performance mental coaches to mitigate the loss of focus that athletes go through when competing on major international stages. He also urged each NSF to introduce more competitions, strengthen the preparation of athletes, work with dedication and also conduct honest assessment of gaps in performance and administration.

Celebrating a landmark performance that includes an unprecedented three gold medals, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has promised to deliver more if “continued institutional support” is provided.

The BFI is currently embroiled in an internal power struggle between its president Ajay Singh and minister Pramod Kumar, who have suspended each other over multiple violations.

However, none of the administrative irregularities came up during the review meeting.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was represented by its secretary Pawankumar Singh.

The performance of the shooters, especially in the pistols, was quite poor this time, with two-time Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker finishing without a medal.

Eleven of India’s 21 gold medals in Aichi-Nagoya came in the last two days of the competition. Archers, men’s and women’s hockey teams, boxers and golfers all ended up as stars.

In contrast, badminton won only one men’s team bronze. Defending men’s doubles champion Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were big disappointments after exiting in the first round. The performance was partially attributed to hectic scheduling that saw players compete in more than one match in less than 24 hours.

The sports ministry said before the games that over 700 million rupees had gone into the training of the athletes over the three-year cycle. India sent a 501-member contingent of athletes to the Games.

Sports Minister Hari Ranjan Rao said India must aim for a top-three finish in the 2030 Asian Games in Doha. He also said that the 2030 Commonwealth Games to be hosted by India in Ahmedabad should be seen as a major national challenge.

“Since we are hosting the games, every NSF must take the competition seriously and prepare accordingly. We must take it as a challenge and work towards it from now on,” he said.

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