New Delhi, March 26 Grappling with a "surge in requests" for the inclusion of personal coaches in India's Asian Games contingent, the Sports Ministry has mandated that "demonstrable contribution" and "regular association" with athletes will be prerequisites for inclusion in the strictly curated list.
The continental event is set to be held from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. India is expected to field over 700 athletes at the event, and the support staff cannot exceed 33 per cent of the overall size of the contingent, as decreed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
However, at the 170th Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting here on Wednesday, the issue of increased demand for personal coaches, and in some disciplines, the number of coaches equaling or exceeding the athlete strength, came up for thorough discussion.
"Multiple requests for personal coaches beyond prescribed norms have been received," a well-placed source told