NEW DELHI: India’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) squad has come under scrutiny with 16-year-old para track cyclist Lisha Das, the youngest member of the 191-strong squad, expressing “deep disappointment” at the lack of female coaches or support staff on the field and in the para track team, raising safety concerns for a minor athlete traveling abroad.“It is with deep disappointment that I write this email… I am a minor female para-athlete. I require a female escort and medical support professional. We submitted a parental consent form appointing my physiotherapist Asha Sheikh as my escort support person… Proper guidance, medical support, athlete safety and athlete welfare should be the highest priority,” Lisa wrote in an email to the sports authority.” “Despite repeated representations from my parents, my coaches and I, this issue remains unresolved and responsibility continues to shift between organizations. It is very unfortunate that athletes continue to suffer while the authorities engage in finger-pointing. One of the most disappointing aspects of this entire incident is the constant shifting of responsibility. Whenever an issue arises: CFI states that it is PCI’s responsibility. PCI states that it is CFI’s responsibility. On July 9, the Ministry of Sports approved the CWG contingent, which includes 126 athletes, 51 officials and 14 contingent staff. While every other discipline has at least one female coach, physiotherapist or medical staff, cycling and paracycling are the only disciplines without female support staff.The omission appears to be inconsistent with the notification issued by the Sports Authority of India on June 15, 2022, which mandated the provision of a female coach in the team of female athletes during domestic and international training camps and competitions, besides the appointment of male and female compliance officers to protect female athletes.Four years ago, when India’s sports governing body was rocked by two complaints of harassment by female athletes in cycling and sailing against their respective coaches, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) issued an office circular on June 15, 2022, to ensure the safety of the sport and free female athletes from harassment and discrimination. “Female coaches must be mandatorily a part of the team of female athletes during national/international training camps and competitions; and compliance officers (male and female) appointed in all national coaching camps and foreign training,” the SAI’s office order read.It may be recalled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently allowed the parents of 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to accompany him on India’s tour of Ireland and England at the board’s expense to ensure compliance with child protection norms and ease his transition into a senior setting.The four supporting staff accompanying the cycling team include male coach Kevin Rene Michel Sireau, male physiotherapist Prahlad Priyadarshi, male technician Rahul Nagappan Assari and male paracycling coach Dattatraya Katkam. However, in a later development, Lisa’s long-time coach Aditya Jitendra Kumar Mehta has “replaced” Dattatreya’s place in the official team. Dattatreya, who is currently an official of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), can only travel “at no cost to the government” as per the Indian Ministry’s recent directive on NSF officials traveling with the CWG convoy. However, Lisa’s key demands remain unmet: the appointment of a female coach or support staff, including physiotherapist Asha, and a technician to assemble and maintain her professional race car.
