NEW DELHI, APR 11
There’s no end in sight to the Indian gymnastics team’s misery at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.After the selection controversy before the Games and the women’s artistic team getting penalized for the missing national emblem from their attire during the team final on Friday, now rhythmic gymnast Meghna Reddy Gundlapally has complained that the IOA did not help get in getting accreditation for her personal coach – Varvara Filiou Bapbapa of Greece – to train and visit her at the athletes’ village.
The 19-year-old Hyderabad-based Meghna has informed sports ministry officials about the IOA’s refusal to help her Greek coach Varvara accreditation as her “personal coach”. Meghna wants Varvara to accompany her during the rhythmic competition round (team final and individual qualification) on Wednesday at the Coomera arena, which is only possible if the coach has the accreditation.
IOA’s reluctance means Varvara would only be able to watch her ward perform from the spectators’ gallery. Varvara, herself an active individual rhythmic gymnast, is an eight-time Greek national champion.
In her hour of crisis, Meghna has told the ministry officials that she wanted to be trained and guided by Varvara so close to the competition, but her repeated requests have had no effect on IOA. It’s the same IOA which helped Saina Nehwal’s father get accreditation for the athletes’ village when the shuttler threatened to boycott the Games.
Meghna’s problem is very similar to what men’s artistic gymnast Ashsih Kumar faced when his personal coach Manoj Rana was denied accreditation by the IOA to visit him during the day hours.
Meghna also told the ministry that if there’s no coach to accompany her to the competition carpet on Wednesday, it would result in “penalty” for every routine she will perform. However, it’s been learnt that gymnastics team manager, Makarand Joshi, will be at the coaches’ corner to encourage Meghna, which would help her avoid a penalty.Joshi had also accompanied the men’s artistic team of Ashish, Rakesh Patra and Yogeshwar Singh during their competition round after the ministry had removed the name of men’s coach Arun Kumar Mishra from the IOA’s contingent list.
