‘Asian Games not exposure tour’: Sports Minister; football team not to be sent

Top 6 ranking eligibility will be applied; Hope for Anush Agarwalla, while no relief for Manika Batra

3 min readJul 2, 2026 06:46 PM IST First published on: Jul 2, 2026 at 06:46 PM IST

The Sports Ministry has asserted that the Asian Games is not “an exposure tour” and the athletes or teams not meeting the ministry criteria won’t be allowed on the plane to Aichi-Nagoya.

When asked about the inclusion of the men’s football team like the last edition, Mansukh Mandaviya, the Sports Minister said that there won’t be anyone to just make up the numbers. “Asian Games is not an exposure tour. It is a platform to win medals. We only want athletes who will deliver the medals,” said Mandaviya. “Exposure can be gained elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be the Asian Games. Anyone looking to secure jobs through participation certificates will not be cleared. The Games are about performance and we will ensure that,” he added further.

In its selection criteria unveiled in 2025, the ministry had made it clear that only those with “realistic chance of winning a medal” would be considered for multi-sport events, including the Asian Games, through selection trials that would be videographed and overseen by independent observers. In addition, it had also stated that only the top six in continental rankings would be eligible. The cut-off means that the Indian football team would not be travelling to the Games this time due to their plummeting rankings.

Recently, two selection controversies emerged as Table Tennis player Manika Batra and Asian Games medallist Equestrian player Anush Agarwalla challenged their omission from the respective squads. While Manika’s case was dismissed, the Ministry is likely to back the inclusion of Anush despite a single judge bench of Delhi high court rejecting his petition. It has been transferred to the Division bench now.

“Anush’s non-selection has been reviewed and the ministry believes he deserves a chance,” said a ministry source.

Ministry to review preparations

With India set to host multiple international events across sports, the Sports Ministry is keeping a watch on the preparations in order to avoid any logistical or organizational fiasco.

“We want to make sure the facilities are top notch. We are keeping a watch on the preparations and working towards changing the negative mindset,” said the source close to development.

New Delhi is set to host the Badminton World Championships next month and after the India Open fiasco in January, the ministry doesn’t want to take any half measures. “There are established protocols for the upkeep of the infrastructure and we are reviewing everything regularly,” said the source.

Before the world event, the national capital will also be hosting the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in which 35 countries, including Australia, England, Canada, and South Africa are expected to participate from July 28 to August 4. Elsewhere, Bhubaneswar would be hosting the Indian Open of athletics, which is World Athletics Silver level event in August.