Sports Ministry to clear Winter Olympians with cost: Official

“I have approached the Sports Ministry,which said that there would not be any issue on the participation of the four athletes. I have been told they will be cleared on government expenses,” Winter Games Federation of India Secretary General Roshan Lal Thakur told said from Manali.

Keshavan in luge,Iqbal in cross country skiing,and Hira Lal and Himanshu Thakur,both in Alpine skiing,have already qualified for the Games.

Thakur said he was waiting for the official communication from the International Olympic Committee regarding the registration of the athletes who have qualified for the Games.

“Federation de International of Skiing (FIS) has intimated us that four athletes have qualified for the Sochi Games but we are yet to get the official documents from the IOC so that we can do their registration.

“The IOC headquarters are closed now due to new year holidays and I am hoping to get the performas by January 7 at the latest,” he said.

Improving Rankings

Thakur also said that Hira Lal and Himanshu Thakur would take part in ski competitions in Iran next month in a bid to improve their rankings.

“It is a domestic competition in Iran but will carry ranking points. This event will also serve as preparations for the Winter Games,” he said.

Three Indian athletes had taken part in the 2010 edition of the Winter Games in Vancouver in Canada,while four represented the country in 2006 in Torino,Italy. Keshavan was the lone Indian athlete in Salt Lake City in United States in 2002 and in Nagano (Japan) in 1998.

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