Asian Games: Karate team leaves without coaches; equestrian riders caught in accred maze
For the karate contingent, reigning Asian champion Alisha Choudhary’s repeated pleas to sports authorities and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials for accreditation for her coach, Vikas Panchal, have gone unheard.
India's karate team is set to compete in the Asiad without a dedicated coach, while five equestrian riders in Tokyo are struggling to obtain accreditation for their personal coaches. Alisha Choudhary, a reigning Asian champion, has been pleading for her coach Vikas Panchal's accreditation for months, but her requests have been ignored.
The team also includes Chetan Bhatt in the men's kumite 84kg category. The designated team leader, Adikessava Peroumal Sinouvassane, cannot perform the functions typically handled by a coach, such as seeking video reviews during competitions.
Meanwhile, the equestrian team is facing its own set of accreditation challenges. All five foreign coaches are still awaiting accreditation, which prevents them from participating in the competition or training. Some riders are even considering a two-hour train journey from Tokyo to Nagoya to meet IOA officials in person and resolve the issue, potentially wasting an entire day of valuable training time.
The coaches, who are not government-funded, are bearing all expenses related to the Games. The accreditation issues arise amidst the equestrian team's struggle for hay, bedding, and fodder for their horses, all of which are being provided by the IOA-appointed ad-hoc committee due to a shortage of government funds.
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