New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra on Thursday trained his guns at the sports ministry for trimming as many as 21 officials from the Indian contingent for the upcoming Commonwealth Games starting at the Gold Coast April 4.

According to the list, the ministry has omitted the names of the Chief Medical Officer and an assistant physiotherapist of the IOA besides other officials of the National Sports Federations (NSFs).

“I haven’t received the official list from the ministry as yet, but from what I have come to know from the media that 21 names have been deleted. This also includes the Chief Medical Officer and an assistant physiotherapist of the contingent,” Batra told reporters on the sidelines of the send-off ceremony of the contingent.

“I am not here for any blame game with the sports ministry. The final list is cleared by the ministry, the (IOA) is like a postman, as the NSF’s send us the list which we forward to the ministry for approval. The NSF’s are autonomous bodies, we have no hand in trimming the list. It is the ministry who has the authority,” he added.

Batra maintained that the physio or the medical officer are mandatory requirements of any contingent and further said that it is the ministry who should shoulder the responsibility if an athlete underperfoms in such a scenario.

“I don’t see any reason in dropping a physio, masseur from the team, they are mandatory requirements. Tomorrow if an athlete’s performance is hampered, then don’t blame the federations or the athlete. Instead the ministry should take responsibility of its actions,” Batra said.

Batra has often been at loggerheads with the ministry since assuming office. When queried about the reasons, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) President said: “There is no enmity or war with the ministry, we understand the demands and needs of the federations and the athletes but somewhere there is lack of understanding in certain bureaucrats of the ministry.”

“Take the case of boxer Sarita Devi during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. There was no one to protest on behalf of her as the coach had to prepare for the next boxer’s bout.

“There are no extra officials, who are going for a vacation misusing public money. There is a 33 percent quota and beyond that if there is a requirement, such officials can travel and the expenses will be borne by the respective NSFs. I don’t have any power to delete their names from the list,” he added.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his junior Minister Kiren Rijiju wished the contingent during the send-off ceremony here.

Batra, along with Secretary General Rajeev Mehta distributed the official kits to the members of the Indian contingent.

Wishing the athletes, Rijiju said: “I am confident the Indian contingent will return with a huge haul of medals from Australia.”

–IANS
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