The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday responded to Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal's claim that her father Harvir Singh’s name had been removed from the Indian team official's list for the Commonwealth Games (CWG), saying that his position as an “accredited Extra Official” and the payment for that doesn't include a bed at the Games Village in Gold Coast.
“Dear @NSaina , Mr. Harvir Singh is an accredited Extra Official! As stated in the CDM Manual of Gold Coast 2018 CWG and repeatedly conveyed to BAI, the payment for accreditation of Extra Official does not include bed in the Games Village,” the tweet, which included a copy of the related document as proof, read.
The document states “the ETO service charge for an extra Team Official… does not include a travel grant or bed in the CGV.”
The sports ministry had earlier stated that parents of Saina and Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu will be travelling to the Gold Coast Games at no costs to the government and were cleared to be part of the Indian contingent.
On Monday, Nehwal took to Twitter to vent her anger, saying when they reached the Games Village, her father’s name was cut from team official category.
"Surprise to see that when we started from India for commonwealth games 2018 my father was confirmed as the team official and I paid the whole amount for that but when we came to the games village ... His name was cut from team official category .. And he can't even stay with me," Saina wrote on her twitter handle.
A frustrated Saina said that her father's support is crucial for her during matches and tagged the Commonwealth Games Federation in her tweets.
"He can't c my matches and he can't enter the village nor he can meet me in anyway .. What kind of support is this ..@thecgf. "I wanted his support as I regularly take him for my competitions ...But i didn't understand why nobody informed me all this
earlier .. That he can't enter anywhere #CommonwealthGames2018."
Saina's father and PV Sindhu's mother Vijaya are among the 15 individuals who, despite being cleared to be part of the Indian contingent, are not funded by the government for their travel, stay and other expenses.
A bronze medallist at the London Olympics in 2012, Saina won the gold at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, but an injury dashed her hopes four years later at Glasgow.
(With agency inputs)
