The top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) brass feels that it is important for athletes travelling to China that they must strictly adhere to guidelines to ensure they do not get in trouble. A senior IOA official has asked to come up with an advisory for Indian sportspersons and officials travelling to the neighbouring country for sports events to keep them away from harm’s way in the wake of the Indo-China tension.
IOA treasurer, Anandeshwar Pandey, has written to the president and secretary-general. It says, “As you are aware, a lot of top international competitions take place in various cities in China, which will also host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou besides several World Cups, world championships and Asian championships”.
“Due to the situation emerging post the border clashes and the relationship between the two countries (being) at an all-time low, there is need for IOA to also take some steps for the safety and well-being of Indian athletes who will compete in Chinese cities across disciplines like shooting, wrestling, boxing, to name a few,” he added, reported by Hindustan Times.
IOA secretary general Rajiv Mehta said there was a proposal to issue guidelines for Indian athletes before they travel for the 2022 Winter Olympics. “We would certainly work on the suggestions given by the IOA treasurer,” he said.
He added that a clear-cut set of guidelines should be circulated by IOA among the athletes via the National Sports Federations (NSFs) to ensure sportspersons stay away from harm’s way.
“While it is absolutely essential that every athlete adheres to the rules and regulations of the host country, it becomes all the more important in the case of China in the wake of the growing tensions between the two countries”.
“Athletes and officials should adhere to local rules and regulations, Games Village protocols and stadium norms. The guidelines given by local authorities at the time of the athletes’ arrival in China and Indian officials’ liaisoning/interactions with Chinese officials should be of the highest standard in the wake of the border episode.”