In the absence of a recognised gymnastic federation, the Sports Authority of India has took the onus on itself and formed a high-level committee to provide the country’s gymnasts best training facilities and prepare them for next year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Administrative wrangling and lackadaisical attitude of the two disaffiliated federations have cost the gymnasts dear in the last two years, which led to them participating in two separate senior nationals at Allahabad and Rai and missing four World Cups last year.
The SAI has now intervened and formed a committee, under the chairmanship of its director general Jiji Thomson, to prepare the national team for the CWG in Glasgow, Scotland and Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
The committee members include Ram Niwas (government observor), G.S. Bawa (former chief coach, NIS Patiala), Dr D.K. Rathore (national coach and Dronacharya awardee), Dr Kalpana Debnath (Arjuna awardee), Rupali Singh (Arjuna awardee), Radhika Shreemal and Roque Dais (SAI) apart from Thomson.