The excessive rules and formality system in India almost put a halt on India’s Para Asian Games campaign in Jakarta even before it had started.
The first batch of athletes who reached Jakarta on Monday morning were refused the keys to their rooms in the Games Village on Monday, because India had failed to deposit the required fees to the organisers, which was supposed to be given by 29th September, 2018.
Post a chaotic morning, an urgent payment of $50,000 and submission of an undertaking that the rest of the amount would be paid by October 4 2018, was made and the accommodation was finally granted to the 50 para athletes.
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“The organisers have not got the money, so they are asking for it. They refused to give us the room keys and stopped us from getting inside the Games Village. We somehow arranged to pay $50,000 and then submitted an undertaking,” chef de mission Gursharan Singh told TOI from Jakarta.
Singh, who is also a Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) official, stated that they had submitted the proposal to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) a month back and it had been moved to the ministry around 10 to 15 days back.
“I don’t know why the situation came to such a pass. But we were apprehensive that such a thing could happen and were prepared to deal with it. We had been negotiating with the organisers for the last few days to avoid any embarrassment,” said Singh.
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“SAI had intimated the ministry about our proposal around 10 to 15 days back. The organisers don’t understand the reasons for the delay. Our job is to pay the money on time as the reputation of India is involved,” he added.
While boarding and lodging is free during the Olympics Games, teams are required to pay for the athletes during the Asian Games.
The athletes were allowed to stay at the accommodation on the condition that India would deposit the rest of the amount – $1.9 lakh – by October 4, 2018.
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