Sochi-bound Olympians await equipment, funds

Preparations will only be able to move forward when the funds are released by the sports ministry.

Himanshu Thakur will not have time to practice with the new equipment

The Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) claimed it is yet to attain the funds necessary to purchase athletes’ equipment and arrange their travel for the Sochi Olympics, which begin in three weeks.

The federation’s secretary Roshan Lal Thakur said the government is yet to sanction Rs 40 lakh, including approximately Rs 15 lakh for equipment, which they had estimated as expenses for importing skiing gear and making travel arrangements for the three-member Indian contingent.

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The Sochi Winter Olympics will begin on February 7 and the Indian athletes will be participating as independent athletes under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) flag because of the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) suspension.

Roadblock

Thakur said their preparations have hit a roadblock and will only be able to move forward when the funds are released by the sports ministry.

“We are yet to order equipment for the skiers to participate. We require things like protectors for the back, elbow and head for the Olympics as specified by the IOC and all of them have to be of specific measurements,” Thakur said. “For example, the ski has to be 195 centimetres in length and radius has to be 35 meters. Anything else will be disqualified.”

While five-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan’s equipment has already been arranged, the kits and gear for the other two athletes who will represent India — alpine skier Himanshu Thakur and cross-country skier Nadeem Iqbal — are yet to be purchased. Thakur said it will take at least 10 days to import the equipment, leaving them with very little time, considering the Indians are scheduled to leave for Sochi on February 2.

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“We don’t get the Olympic standard equipment here and it will take at least 10 days to import them, provided we make the payment on time. The athletes need some time to practice with the new equipment before they leave. I have asked for a partial payment for the equipment from the Sports Ministry but that too is being processed,” he said.

Thakur said they had approached the ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) in December. He said things would have been smoother if the IOA was functioning.

“The problem is that the IOA is not working. That’s why there has been a delay in processing the funds,” he said.
With regards to SAI’s involvement, the body’s director general Jiji Thomson maintained that he is unaware of the issue.

“I have not been in Delhi for quite some time and as a result do not know the current situation regarding the funding,” he said.
Sports secretary Ajit Sharan was unavailable for comment.