The Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics is up for grabs. MC Mary Kom withdrew due to personal reasons, leaving the post vacant. Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang and Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal are among the leading candidates, IOA sources told PTI on Sunday.
Narang, Rajpal in contention
Mary Kom, a six-time world champion, announced her resignation from the role in April, citing compelling personal reasons as the reason. In March of this year, the Indian Olympic Association named her CDM.
“Most likely it will be Gagan or Rohit for the role of chef de mission. It’s a huge responsibility and they are capable of managing it. Having said that, weightlifting federation’s Sahdev Yadav’s name was also being considered,” an IOA source told PTI on the sidelines of the send-off ceremony for India’s Olympic contingent here.
Prakash Padukone says no
The legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone was reportedly offered the job as well, but the former All England Champion declined.
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“Mr Padukone is a well-respected figure in Indian sports. However, due to old age he was a bit hesitant to take up the responsibility and IOA respected his decision,” the source added.
The role of chef de mission (CDM) is crucial in the administrative realm because it entails looking after the needs and welfare of participating athletes as well as communicating with the organizing committee.
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