New Delhi [India], Mar 23 (NT): The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is apparently working on cutting down of numbers of the Indian contingent for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.  This world-sport is to begin from April 4.

According to an SAI source, the authority is reducing the numbers of the contingent including officials and support staff also family expenses of athletes. It has removed 21 names from the list already, including the Chief Medical Officer and an assistant physiotherapist of the IOA, besides other officials of the National Sports Federations (NSFs).

The reason behind that is the part of athletes payment is actually being given by the Government of India. Because the CWG federation only gives about 15,000 dollars per sportsperson and over and above is given by the government.

There are certain guidelines for the number of officials that are supposed to go per athletes in whch the support staff and the doctors include. The number of officials that have been outlined in the proposal of the IOA (Indian Olympics Association) is exceeding these numbers by about 40. In one or two cases, the father and mother of a person are also going.

In certain cases, the quota for the particular discipline does not cover the coaches and support staff needed. So from the SAI side it actually sent 10 more coaches as per the request of the federation.

IOA President Narinder Batra has questioned SAI's decision of reducing the number of contingent size, while adding that he did not see the list and would discuss with the authorities soon.