38 Indian Coaches have also been approved in consultations with Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI). The Federation has been asked to furnish the panel of names of foreign coaches.

The Steering Committee has also approved the names of one Physiotherapist, two masseurs and two masseuses and has asked the AAFI to submit the panel of names for remaining support personnel.

The Committee has also directed the AAFI to prepare in consultation with Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Annual Calendar of Training and Competitions (ACTC) of 305 days in a year for imparting continuous training.

During the meeting, the Committee also approved NIS, Patiala, SAI Centre Bangalore and Kolkata as centres for imparting training to the Core Group of athletes. For providing infrastructural and equipment support, the committee has asked the SAI to take necessary action to ensure all requirements of AAFI.

In India, normally, athletes are allowed to participate if they produce their Xth standard certificate or a bonafide certificate from the Head of the Institution where they are studying. Only in the case of any suspicion is a medical test done. There was only one doctor available to do the medical tests for a national level meet. And this guy alone rejected 200. Wonder what would have happened if more doctors were available and everyone was put through the scanner.

Our utter disregard for the sanctity of age group restrictions is shocking. Why should we even bother with such events if this how they will be organized?

Update (November 13, 2008): After the overage issue, the Athletics meet has been rocked by fake identity cards which resemble the ones issued by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Those who have AFI cards don’t have to undergo age verification and several athletes have taken advantage of this using fake identity cards.

Update (Novenber 22, 2008): Anoop PK, the fastest athlete at meet and winner of the 100m title (boys under 20) has also been disqualified for being overage. This time around the officials simply claimed that “The boy is an orphan and the date of birth records may not be correct”.  AFI appointed doctor first came to the came to the conclusion on the eve on the event after ‘having a close look at Anoop’s facial features’. Anoop was allowed to compete after protests from the Kerela athletes. It is unclear whether proper medical tests have been performed since, but per the AFI website, Anoop’s name in the winners column has been replaced with Karnataka’s GN Boppanna.

It starts with the fairy tale effort of Norman Pritchard in the 1904 Olympics. Not part of any official contingent (there wasn’t one actually), Pritchard just happened to be in Paris at the time of the Olympics. He ended up participating and winning two silvers – in the 200 meters and the 200 meters hurdles.

If we were fortunate to get these two medals in 1904, we have been rather unfortunate ever since – we haven’t won a single medal in the next 104 years of the Olympics. What makes it especially unfortunate is the fact that we have come within a hair’s breadth of a medal on multiple occasions only to be thwarted and left heart broken again and again

The first of these was Hennery Rebello in the 1948 London Olympics. Considered a genuine medal prospect, Rebello qualified for the final of the Triple Jump but withdrew because of a muscle injury.

Then there were the two Sikhs - Milkha Singh and Gurbachan Singh Randhawa. ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh broke the Olympic record in the 400m at Rome in 1960 but ended up a close 4th. Four years later in Tokyo, Gurbachan followed him with a 5th place finish in the 110m hurdles.

In 1976 Sriram Singh was way back in 7th place in the 800m but his failure really rankles till this day because of the apathy of the Indian officials which impacted his performance. Sriram was a little stiff after his semi-final race and needed a sports physio to massage his tired legs. The Indian officials accompanying the squad hardly made any effort to get him one. Undeterred and unattended, Sriram gamely carried on till the halfway mark before his weary legs finally caught up with him.

Then in 1984 in Los Angeles P.T Usha came closer than anyone else, missing out on the bronze in a photo finish. This had been a great medal opportunity – the East Europeans were missing in this Olympics and the 400m hurdles was being introduced for the first time. Usha’s coach - O.P Nambiar‘s selection of this event for his ward could have well been a coaching master-stroke

Our performance at the Olympics took a major dive after this.

Then Anju Bobby George came along. For three years she was amongst the best in the world. She won a bronze at the World Championships in 2003 and a silver at the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005 - both firsts for Indian athletes. A medal at the 2004 Olympics would have completed her collection of medals and firsts. Sadly, the Olympics coincided with one of her bad days in office.

The latest chapter in the story of Olympic heart breaks for Indian athletics.