IOA rejects sports ministry's proposal to reconsider team selection for Asian Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has rejected the Sports Ministry's recommendation to reconsider the selection of teams and athletes for the upcoming 18th edition of the Asian Games, a top official told ANI.

The IOA rejected the proposal saying the sports ministry's concerns have already been considered in selecting the contingent.

Earlier, in a letter, the Ministry had pointed out that there are some teams and athletes who have been performing really well from past six months but could not qualify for selection due to lack of exposure or participation in ranking events. It added that these teams and athletes have a strong chance of winning a medal or making a top-four finish.

On July 3, the IOA announced a 524-member contingent for the upcoming 18th Asian Games.

The contingent features 277 men and 247 women athletes from a total of 36 sports disciplines namely Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Bowling, Canoe-Kayak (Sprint), Canoe-Kayak (Slalom), Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Gymnastics, Golf, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Karate, Kurash, Pencak Silat, Roller Skating, Rowing, Sailing, Sambo, Sepaktakraw, Shooting, Squash, Aquatics - Swimming, Aquatics - Diving, Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Soft Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Wushu.

Athletics will have the highest number of representation, with a total of 52 members participating in the prestigious games.

The 2018 Asian Games are slated to be held at Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from August 18 to September 2.