New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Taking note of the organisational lapses that plagued the India Open badminton tournament here, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met officials of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Monday to discuss “corrective measures” that would prevent a repeat of the fiasco.
It is reliably learnt that the minister held a meeting with the stadium administrators, who were conspicuous by their absence during the tournament, and sought an explanation for the chaos last week.
The lapses have created a “perception crisis” for India in a potentially “make-or-break year” for the country’s audacious 2036 Olympic bid.
Although Delhi’s poor air quality was beyond its control, SAI is under tremendous pressure to explain incidents of bird poop in the field of play, a monkey in the spectators’ stand, and poorly maintained facilities, including washrooms and training areas.
“The minister has taken note and SAI will come up with details of corrective measures in the next few days,” a well-placed source told PTI.
Responsible for the stadium’s upkeep, SAI has drawn heavy criticism for the chaos that became the talking point at the venue, which is also due to hold the badminton World Championships in August.
Danish shutter Mia Blichfeldt had described the conditions as unhealthy and wondered aloud as to how the marquee competition later this year could possibly go ahead at the same venue in a few months’ time.
What ails SAI? ========= The nodal body responsible for the running of national camps and maintain sports infrastructure in the country was found wanting in every aspect during India Open.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) was left to handle the media storm triggered by the international players’ complaints despite taking over the stadium just a few weeks before the tournament.
“A Deputy Director level officer was needed to take control of the situation, similar to what SAI did during the para-world championships of athletics at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium last year when things passed off relatively well on the organisational front,” another source said.
SAI’s budget for the ongoing financial year is Rs 830 crore with infrastructure upkeep being one of its primary responsibilities.
The IG Stadium is the main training base for gymnasts and also hosts boxing competitions and training camps.
How it hurts Olympic bid ================ For the time being, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has halted the host selection process to reassess its criteria through feedback from member nations.
But the process is expected to be revived some time this year and India would face competition from the likes of Qatar, a country which has repeatedly shown its ability to smoothly conduct international events across disciplines.
“Even though Ahmedabad is the city that is running for the Games but you can’t deny that incidents like the ones in India Open create a negative perception. These things reach the IOC and influence the overall voting,” a well-placed source said.
“Corrective measures are necessary to not just rebuild confidence but also show that we are serious about 2036.” PTI PM PM PDS PDS
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