Sports Ministry clears participation of four Indians in the Winter Olympics with cost

The Sports Ministry of India has cleared with cost four Indians who have qualified for the Winter Olympics to be held in Russia, even though they are not participating in the quadrennial event under the national flag.

The Indian Olympic Association is suspended from the Olympic fold and the four Indians — Shiva Keshavan, Nadeem Iqbal, Hira Lal and Himanshu Thakur — will compete in the February Winter Olympics as Independent Athletes under the banner of the IOC.

“I have approached the Sports Ministry, which said that there would not be any issue on the participation of the four athletes.

I have been told they will be cleared on government expenses,” Winter Games Federation of India Secretary General Roshan Lal Thakur told PTI from Manali.

“Federation de International of Skiing (FIS) has intimated us that four athletes have qualified for the Sochi Games but we are yet to get the official documents from the IOC so that we can do their registration.

“The IOC headquarters are closed now due to new year holidays and I am hoping to get the performas by January 7 at the latest,” he said.