Sports Ministry clears 221 Athletes, 104 officials

The Sports Ministry yesterday cleared a 325-member Indian contingent, including 221 athletes, for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Gold Coast next month, but dropped two contingent staff named by the Indian Olympic Association. The contingent has 58 coaches, seven managers, 17 doctors and physiotherapists and 22 other officials (104 non-athletes in all). Not all the officials are, however, going to the Gold Coast CWG on Government cost. The Government will bear the cost of only 54 coaches, 16 doctors and physiotherapists and 19 other officials (89 in all), besides the 221 athletes. P.V. Sindhu's mother Vijaya Pusarla and Saina Nehwal's father Harvir Singh are among the 15 officials/non-athletes who have been cleared on no cost to Government. They have not been given any designation in the list issued by the Ministry.