New Delhi: The Sports Ministry has issued a strict directive to national sports federations ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, making it clear that only athletes with genuine medal prospects will be allowed to represent India.
As squads are finalised for the two major multi sport events, officials have warned federations against inflating team sizes or including athletes through discretionary picks. The emphasis, according to ministry officials, is on eliminating non performing selections and ensuring that only competitive athletes make the cut.
India is expected to send around 126 athletes to the Commonwealth Games and nearly 600 to the Asian Games. Although federations and the Indian Olympic Association are responsible for preparing entries, the final approval now rests with the Sports Ministry, which is vetting every selection before it is cleared.
Officials said the approach reflects a shift towards performance driven selection, with a focus on sending athletes who can realistically compete for medals. They added that previous editions had seen contingents expanded to include athletes with limited competitive prospects, a practice the ministry now wants to eliminate.
Sources indicated that participation numbers are being significantly reduced across disciplines, with only a small group of athletes per sport expected to be selected depending on qualification standards and medal potential. This marks a departure from earlier editions where India fielded large contingents across multiple sports.
The ministry’s intervention also extends to disputes within federations. It has taken note of concerns surrounding the exclusion of Olympian Anush Agarwalla from the dressage squad, questioning the fairness of the selection process and suggesting that personal differences may have influenced decisions. The matter has already reached legal scrutiny.
Officials have assured that the selection process will be reviewed strictly on merit, reinforcing that transparency and performance will remain central to team composition.
The move is widely seen as an attempt to address long standing criticism that selection decisions in Indian sport have often been influenced by internal politics, lobbying and non sporting considerations. The government’s latest stance signals closer oversight of federations and a more controlled approach to international team selection.
With entries now under detailed review, the message from the Sports Ministry is firm that future Indian contingents will be leaner, more competitive and focused solely on medal potential.
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