My coaches are being harassed regularly,politics is affecting my training:Olympic medallist Lovlina
Birmingham, Jul 25: Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain on Monday alleged that her preparations for the Commonwealth Games are being hampered because of the "continuous harassment" her coaches are facing from the authorities.
The Indian boxing squad reached the Games Village here on Sunday night after a training stint in Ireland but Lovlina's personal coach Sandhya Gurung could not enter the Village since she does not have accreditation.
Lovlina, perhaps, wanted her personal coach Amey Kolekar with her during the CWG but he did not feature in the long list.
The decorated pugilist expressed her anger in a long twitter post.
"Today with a lot of grief, I want to tell everyone about the continuous harassment going on with me. The coaches who helped me win an Olympic medal are always being side-lined which has severely impacted my training schedule," Lovlina wrote in her twitter post.
"One of the coaches is Sandhya Gurungji, who is a Dronacharya awardee. I had to plead with folded hands to get my coaches included in the contingent. I am feeling mentally harassed because of this ordeal," she posted.
"Right now, my coach Sandhya Gurung is standing outside the CWG village and not being allowed to enter. Just eight days before the start of my event, my training schedule has been hampered. My other coach has been sent back to India," she said.
Lovlina alleged that she endured similar treatment before the World Championship in Istanbul and she fears that something similar will happen at the upcoming Birmingham Games.
"I don't understand how will I focus on the Games (CWG) amidst all this? My world championships also suffered because of this. I don't want my CWG to be affected due to politics. Hoping I will overcome this politics and win a medal for my country. Jai Hind," she wrote.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said the accreditation process is being managed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and hoped that issue will be sorted soon.
"The IOA and BFI are working to get Sandhya's accreditation continuously. It is in IOA's hand but it will come by today or tomorrow.
"We had given all names beforehand but there is a quota system. Based on the number of athletes who have qualified there is 25 per cent quota. So we had four officials, which includes coach, doctor etc," BFI secretary Hemanta Kalita told PTI.
"We had requested the IOA and they have increased the quota to eight. Four will stay inside the village and four have to stay outside, they can enter the village, and spend the day but at night they have to go back out," Kalita added.
The other coach Lovlina is talking about is her strength and conditioning coach Amey Kolekar, who is also her personal coach
His name was not on the long list. Kolekar was with her in Ireland.
The Indian team already has a strength and conditioning coach, who will help out the pugilists during the Games.
Meanwhile the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said it will try that a proper resolution is reached.
"The SAI has taken up the matter with BFI. The Sports Ministry is in talks with IOA to solve the matter and ensure best possible preparation for Lovlina who is a strong medal contender," SAI official said.
— Lovlina Borgohain (@LovlinaBorgohai) July 25, 2022
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
