Sports ministry approves gymnasts to compete under national flag

The Indian sports ministry has made things easier for gymnasts aiming to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games as it approved the participation of the four-member gymnastics team under the Indian flag for the upcoming FIG Individual Apparatus World Cup in Germany.

The Indian gymnasts will be allowed to participate under the national flag and will also be allowed to use the title ‘Indian’ in their names during the course of the tournament. The ministry, under the leadership of former Olympian Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, made this exemption after it considered the fact that the championship offered a chance for Indian gymnasts to book a spot for the 2020 Tokyo Games. 

However, as per the reports in TOI, it's been learnt the ministry may not make such concessions for future events. The Indian gymnastic contingent will include the likes of Dipa Karmakar, Aruna Budda Reddy, Rakesh Patra, and Ashish Kumar at the championship. The team left for Cottbus in Germany early Monday morning and the event is scheduled to begin from November 22.

Meanwhile, Indian gymnasts - Yogeshwar Singh and Pranati Nayak were left disappointed as their names were not cleared by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) despite their entries being included in the draw released by the Cottbus organisers. SAI told the de-recognised Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) that if it wanted to send the two athletes for the event, it can do so at its own cost. The GFI refused to bear the travel and boarding/lodging cost citing cash crunch, which left the two Indians holding their heads between their hands.

India's participation in the tournament had been in doubt after the ministry issued a directive to de-recognise NSFs so that their athletes can neither represent India at international events nor use the title 'Indian' in their names.