Sports Authority will arrange boarding and lodging for archers at trials

After reports emerged on this week that the Indian archers were left to fend for themselves in Pune where they have gathered to compete at the selection trials for the Olympic Qualifiers, the government has come forward to douse the problem.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) clarified that it will arrange for the boarding and lodging for the archers and that they won’t have to pay for it from their own pockets. “The government will provide support as has been done for the national campers for the boarding and lodging of the men’s and women’s recurve archers competing at the trials in the Army Sports Institute (ASI),” SAI said in a statement on Friday.

Earlier reports had alleged that no arrangements had been made for the accommodations of archers in the absence of the suspended Archery Association of India (AAI).

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also tweeted saying no athlete whether attending a national camp or a trial will have to pay for his/her boarding and lodging. “No athlete attending a national camp or trial will have to pay for boarding and lodging. The government will provide support, like in previous cases, to the men’s and women’s recurve archers competing at the trials in the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune, that starts on Jan 4,” Rijiju posted on his official Twitter handle.

Having already competed at the stage 1 trials last year, the likes of Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi, Atanu Das and 21 other archers have been exempted from stage 2 trials. They will take part in stage 3 that gets underway from January 18.

The stage 2 of the open trials starts from January 4 and will conclude on January 7.