PUNE: The Sports Authority of India's (SAI) role in approving athletes' Asian Games participation has come under fresh scrutiny, with the men's gymnastics team claiming they have been overlooked despite fulfilling the eligibility criteria set out by the government.
"The names of the men have been taken off the list forwarded to the sports ministry by the federation (GFI)," said seasoned gymnast Rakesh Patra. "We have the best-eight performance as mentioned in the criteria set by the government. Gymnastics is a measurable sport. Points are scored for each performance, unlike wrestling or badminton. On the other hand, the football team, a non-measurable sport, has been cleared. The boys are feeling downcast," he added.
