Team News Riveting
New Delhi, June 11
The sports ministry has decided that no ministerial delegation will be sent to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The decision has been taken to accommodate “maximum” support staff, including coaches and physios, for the athletes competing in the international multi-sporting event.
A statement issued by the ministry said participation of the Indian teams and sportspersons for the Tokyo Olympics was being reviewed round the clock. “The ministry has decided to depute maximum additional support staff such as coaches, doctors, physiotherapists, to optimize the performance of the athletes,” the statement said, adding that visit of any person other than athletes, coaches and support staff would be taken up only if there was any protocol requirement.
“In the light of the arrangement, it has been decided not to have any ministry delegation for the Tokyo Olympics.”
The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8.
The ministry will set up a special cell at the Indian embassy office in Tokyo for providing logistic support to the visiting players and staff accompanying them.”
“An Olympic mission cell is being set up in the embassy of India in Tokyo, as a single-window node to provide logistic support to the Indian contingent bound for Tokyo, so that all possible assistance is rendered seamlessly,” the ministry said.
The number of officials travelling to the Olympics cannot be more than one-third of the number of athletes from the same delegation.
Reports said with the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese government had also decided to restrict the number of staff accompanying the foreign ministers to 11 per head of state, while limiting the cabinet-level delegations to five people.
The Indian contingent for the Tokyo Olympics is expected to number around 190, with over 100 athletes.
The major international multi-sporting event will be held in the shadow of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for the first time.
