Asian Games: Only athletes with medal chances will go

The Union sports ministry announced the selection criteria for the 2026 Asian Games ‘on Wednesday, laying down a marker that only athletes with a “real chance of winning a medal” will be cleared for participation.

- Avishek Roy

The ministry in a statement said it “may not approve names of sportspersons of teams recommended by the National Sports Federations, if the aim is just for participation and not aiming for excellence (medal winning).”

Sixth-place finish at the 2023 Asian Games has been kept as the benchmark for individual events, while a top-eight finish at continental championships or a top eight ranking in Asia has been set as the selection standard for team sports.

This selection criteria will also apply for the participation of Indian athletes and teams in multi-sports events. Indian contingents for Para Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Indoor games, Asian Beach Games, Youth Olympics, Asian Youth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games will also be selected following the same criteria. However, the exception would be the Olympics and similar international competitions where the qualification standard is set by the respective international federations.

The ministry has also put an end to ‘no cost to government’ approvals.