Indian paracyclist Lisha Das rejects federation support, opts for own kit and flag

NEW DELHI: Before leaving for the Commonwealth Games, minor para-cyclist Lisha Das has escalated her dispute with the country’s sports authorities by informing the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) that she will not wear the official Indian kit and will carry her own tricolour. She also said she would stay out of the team hotel, travel on independently booked flights and refuse the federation’s travel and accommodation arrangements in Glasgow, citing “ongoing harassment, mental anguish and lack of support”.In another strongly worded email — a copy of which is with TOI — the athlete demanded immediate accreditation and field access for her coach Aditya Mehta, saying the Delhi High Court had already recognized him as her coach. She reiterated that Mehta, technician K Dattatraya and physiotherapist Dr Asha Shaikh must be provided with necessary access to the event as her core support staff.Lisha also protested against the use of her photos on the official platforms of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), claiming that they created a misleading impression that she was trained, sponsored or supported by the authorities. As a minor, she said neither she nor her guardian had consented to the use of the photos and warned of legal action if the material was not removed.Her latest communication came after the CFI informed her that it had booked flights for Lisha, Dr Shaikh and Dattatraya and was arranging accreditation, accommodation and airport transfers for the Indian para-cycling contingent in Glasgow. However, Mehta was not listed as her coach.Dismissing the measure, Lisha wrote, “I will not wear the official kit. I will wear my own kit and carry my own Indian flag.”She said she independently covered the costs of her training, equipment and participation in the Games. According to her coaching team, the expenses were around Rs 12 crore, including non-refundable air tickets, private accommodation in Glasgow and customs paid on her high-end customized cycle.Lisha added that she saw no reason to represent a support system “from which I did not receive meaningful support.” She further claimed that the federation had booked the tickets “without notifying me in advance” and that her coach and support team had already completed travel and accommodation due to a “prolonged lack of clarity and timely communication”.Lisha emphasized that she would continue to represent India with pride and argued that her independent measures should not weaken her claim for accreditation for Mehta and her support staff.