Sport Ministry writes to FIG to allow IOA to select gymnasts for World C'ship

The Sports Ministry has written a letter to Federation Internationale de Gymnatisque (FIG) to allow the committee headed by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to select the team for next month's World Championship in Artistic Gymnastics.

Olympic quotas will be up for grabs at the World Championship which is scheduled to be held in Stuttgart, Germany from October 4 to 13.

However, the two-day selection trials organised by Gymnastic Federation of India (GFI) to select a six-member team for the World Championships was postponed early this month after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) requested the IOA to conduct the trials.

The GFI headed by Sudhakar Shetty has the backing of the world body even though it remains derecognised by the sports ministry since 2011.

In the letter dated September 11, the Sports Ministry made it clear to FIG that it doesn't recognise GFI because of "misgovernance, favouritism and factionalism in the organisation".

"The GFI headed by Sudhakar Shetty is charging money for selection and nomination of athletes for competitive events and indulging in rampant favouritism," the Ministry said in the letter addressed to FIG Secretary General Nicolas Buampane.

"Any National Sports Federation not adhering to the principles of good governance and transparency, as laid down in the National Sports Development Code of India 2011 (NSDCI), is not entitled to select Indian national team."