Sochi Games: Four Indian skiers to go as independent athletes
Four Indian skiers, who have qualified for the Winter Games, will represent the country as independent athletes at the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Russia, Feb 7-23.
|Last Updated: Dec 31, 2013, 05:27 PM IST|Source: IANS
Manali: Four Indian skiers, who have qualified for the Winter Games, will represent the country as independent athletes at the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Russia, Feb 7-23.
Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) secretary general Roshan Thakur Tuesday said the skiers -- Himanshu Thakur, Hira Lal and Shiva Keshavan, all from this Himachal Pradesh town, and Nadeem Iqbal from Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir -- have qualified for the Olympics.
"They will not represent the country under the Indian flag, but they are participating as independent athletes under the Olympic flag," Thakur told a leading agency.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended India in December 2012 over the election process of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
"They all have qualified for the Olympics by scoring the required Federation de International of Skiing (FIS) points in international races in the past three-four years. Now when they are heading to participate, they can`t represent the country. It`s sad," said Thakur.
The IOC has asked the IOA to conduct fresh elections at the earliest so that the athletes could take part in the Winter Games under the tri-colour. But the IOA elections will be held Feb 9, two days after the Sochi Games begin.
"Why can`t the IOA elections be conducted before the commencement of Winter Olympics," Thakur asked.
Sports Minister Jitendra Singh had also asked IOA to host the elections by the last week of January or first week of February so that Indian athletes can compete under the national flag in the Winter Games.
Luger Keshavan, who is participating in his fifth Winter Olympics, is a strong medal hope. He had a continental record at the Asia Cup in Nagano in Japan in December 2012.
While Himanshu and Hira Lal are participating in the alpine skiing category, Iqbal is in cross-country competition.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.