No ceremonial kit, Tajinderpal Singh Toor replaced as Asian Games flag-bearer

Toor is one of India’s biggest gold medal hopes in track and field at the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya after Neeraj Chopra pulled out of the event due to an injury. Toor said he was informed that he would be India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony on Friday, which is why he could not get his kit in time.

“IOA told me yesterday about me becoming flag-bearer. Otherwise, my coach, who reached here yesterday, could have picked it (the kit) up for me,” he said.

India’s athletics contingent, which will be one of the biggest sources of medals for India at these Asian Games, has been training at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo since September 13 as part of an acclimatisation camp and is scheduled to reach Nagoya on September 21, two days before the start of athletics events.

An AFI source told The Indian Express that Toor’s ceremonial kit was sent on Friday, but it did not reach him in time. “We tried to ensure that at least Toor received his ceremonial kit on time for the opening ceremony. But it was too late. The IOA must explain why the athletics squad didn’t receive the kits,” the source said.

India’s chef de mission for the Asian Games, Sahdev Yadav, could not be reached for comment.

The Indian track and field squad left New Delhi for a training stint at the University of Tsukuba after the Indian Athletics Final Series held in New Delhi on September 11.

“We had informed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) a month before the athletics team left for Japan. But despite reminders, the IOA did not provide the track and field athletes, including Toor, with the ceremonial kit,” an AFI official said.