Asian Games: Karate team leaves without coaches; cavalry riders caught in an acral maze

Containers ready to accommodate athletes from various countries participating in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: The Indian karate team heads to the Asiad without a dedicated coach, while five equestrian riders in Tokyo are scrambling to get accreditation for their personal trainers. Some are even considering taking a two-hour train ride to Nagoya to resolve the issue in person, TOI learnt.As for the karate contingent, reigning Asian champion Alisha Choudhary’s repeated pleas to sports authorities and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials to accredit her coach Vikas Panchal have gone unheeded. Also in the two-man team is Chetan Bhatt (Men’s Kumite 84kg), with Adikessava Peroumal Sinouvassane designated as ‘team leader’.No karate coach had been appointed when the Sports Ministry sanctioned coaches were issued on September 2. Alisha has since sent several emails and reminders emphasizing that Panchal trained her for 11 years and led her to all major international successes, including her historic gold at the 2026 Asian Karate Championships. He is certified by the World Karate Federation and the Asian Karate Federation and has accompanied her to international camps and competitions.Interestingly, during a match, only the coach can occupy the coach’s corner and look for video review by throwing a challenge block onto the mat. The team leader cannot perform these duties, leaving Indian karatekas without essential technical and tactical support.Meanwhile, the equestrian camp is in the midst of its own accreditation scramble. All five foreign coaches are waiting for accreditation and without it they cannot enter the venue of the competition or training. Riders coordinate by phone with IOA contingent staff based in Aichi and Nagoya, a logistical pain made worse by the distance between the two locations.Some riders are now considering taking the roughly two-hour train ride from Tokyo to Nagoya simply to meet with IOA officials and get their coaches accredited, missing out on a full day of crucial training.Five trainers were found to have been approved late by the IOA and sports authorities, despite the rider-horse combination and trainers’ names being communicated to the IOA in May. Riders were also eyeing travel approvals.None of these five coaches are funded by the state. All their expenses for the games will be borne by the riders themselves. Yet they are still fighting for the accreditation needed to do this work. Accreditation issues add to the equestrian contingent scrambling for hay, bedding and fodder for their horses, with an ad-hoc committee appointed by the IOA citing “lack of government funds”.