Even before India’s full squad for the Commonwealth Games is announced, controversies over selection have started to raise their ugly head with talks of Rings and Parallel Bar specialist Rakesh Patra being dropped from the gymnastic squad on technical ground.
With 2014 edition bronze medallist Dipa Karmakar ruled out as she is not fit enough to compete after the knee surgery, it was widely believed that Patra and floor and vault specialist Ashish Kumar were India’s best bet for winning a medal for the third consecutive times in the Games.
But as things panned out, the selection committee comprising Sunaina Kumari, Sports Authority of India (SAI) project officer I S Pabla and head coach Gurdial Singh Bawa has apparently decided to consider gymnasts on the basis of their All Around scores (an aggregate of all 6 apparatus) and not consider any player for individual events.
When contacted Bawa refused to confirm or deny the decision and said the team was yet to be announced.
However, sources said the team announcement was purposely withheld and the final squad, comprising three men and three women artistic gymnasts and one rhythmic gymnast, has already been sent to Indian Olympic Association. With two factions in the Gymnastic Federation of India staking claim to be the official body, SAI has been running the camps and overseeing the selection process. In fact, in the selection committee only Bawa is the gymnastic expert while the chairperson Sunaina Kumari is the IOA representative.
The Commonwealth Games trials were held in New Delhi on February 12-14 and the document signed by Bawa (which is in possession of The Field) clearly show that they have ranked the players only on overall scores.
While Ashish Kumar clearly topped the trials, MD. Bobby and Gaurav Kumar finished second and third. However, there scores on Parallel Bars and Rings were almost a point behind Patra, who only performed on the two apparatus and horizontal bars.
Patra has been India’s most successful male gymnast in the last few years, winning gold medals in both events in the Hong Kong International event. He also finished fourth in the recently concluded World Cup in Gold Coast and his current scores on rings should at least take him to the finals at the Commonwealth Games.
When contacted, Patra said he wasn’t aware of the final team as nothing has been notified to him. But admitted to hearing the chatter about selecting only those who performed on all apparatus. “I concentrated on only two apparatus because there is no chance of winning a medal in all-round and hence it made sense to play to my strength,” said the 26-year-old.
“I have been doing this for last couple of years and there was no problem in the past. If they had changed the selection criteria this time, they should have informed us earlier and I would have then participated in all the apparatus,” he added.
The list of Indian athletes by names is to be officially submitted to the Games authorities by March 7.
