Paris Olympics 2024

[Mugundan]

Since this discussion started with the need or logic in sending three racewalkers in the men's section (since six have qualified), here is some background:
Tokyo Olympics: Men's 20km: 23. Sandeep Sangwan, 47. Rahul Rohila, 51 (out of 52 finishers) K. T. Irfan.
Men 50km: Gupreet Singh DNF
Rio Olympics: Men's 20km: 13. Manish Singh Rawat; Gurmeet Singh DQ, Krishnan Ganapathi DQ
Current national record holder Akshdeep Singh: 20km: Asian Championships, Bangkok, 2023---DQ; WC Budapest 47th (1:31:12) His current NR 1:19:38 (2024); previous NR 1:19:55 (2023)

[prasen9]

If the IOC is going to fund three of these, then send all three. Don't have great hopes though. Even then.

[Mugundan]

i think little would be achieved by sending all three. One or two would suffice. But then again, the third one who duly qualified will feel let down. Merely by participating in Olympics, their standards will not improve. We need to have the highest standards of judging when we hold our Nationals in places like Ranchi and Chandigarh. They struggle in global championships (exceptions notwithstanding), then breach rules, get cards or are forced to spend time in pit stops and fade away. Priyanka Goswami is doing well this season, if we shift focus to women's. Any position within the top-20 should be considered good in Olympics, in either section.

[Sin Hombre]

We should not send anyone who has not met qualifying standards in a reputed IAAF meet. Let's stop this business of wasting taxpayer rupees.

[jayakris]

We should not send anyone who has not met qualifying standards in a reputed IAAF meet. Let's stop this business of wasting taxpayer rupees.

I disagree. We should find ways to waste money on sports. We *must* waste ( ) at least as much a fraction of taxpayer money as is wasted in the allocations for a lot of other things which are not in public view like sports is. Sports wastage is naturally less because a lot of people observe things in the press/media --- unlike in the case of pothole repair, forest rehabilitation, "scientific" conference travel of academics, defense "canteen" procurement, etc.

I am a supporter of equal-opportunity wastage. In fact I demand that we waste on sports too!!!

[Mugundan]

Without meeting the qualification standards, athlete would not gain entry into either Olympic Games or World championships in athletics or similar meets that are conducted by World Athletics.
This would apply, I believe, in other measurable disciplines like swimming and weightlifting, too. In swimming they have an "A' and 'B' standard, the latter being the waiting group. In weightlifting for Olympics, there is a ranking system based on competitions and points. Certain competitions are "must" and some minimum numbers are also "must" though one can opt out of actual "competition" after having entered and weighed in.

[VReddy]

We should not send anyone who has not met qualifying standards in a reputed IAAF meet. Let's stop this business of wasting taxpayer rupees.

If they earned their spot at the extremely elite stage like Olympics and valuable taxpayer money is a concern, why not let them pay for their own costs?

[prasen9]

Actually, I thought Mugu said IOC will pay. So, what is the big deal?

[VReddy]

Actually, I thought Mugu said IOC will pay. So, what is the big deal?

IOC gets its money from the Taxpayers. There have been rising concerns on tax payer money being used to fund athletes who are not medal contenders.

See the saga from the Asian Games: https://old.ptinews.com/news/sports/ath ... 41377.html

I dont understand why the Govt cant have these athletes self-fund.

[Mugundan]

Actually, I thought Mugu said IOC will pay. So, what is the big deal?

Yes, IOC pays for all qualified athletes and teams (number of team members are restricted as per the regulations of the international federations concerned).
Additional support personnel will go at Govt expense or federation expense.

[Mugundan]

Actually, I thought Mugu said IOC will pay. So, what is the big deal?

IOC gets its money from the Taxpayers. There have been rising concerns on tax payer money being used to fund athletes who are not medal contenders.

See the saga from the Asian Games: https://old.ptinews.com/news/sports/ath ... 41377.html

I dont understand why the Govt cant have these athletes self-fund.

Athletes often do not have enough money to buy shoes or javelins. They won't be able to even think of funding their trip to Olympics.
Selection criteria (for Asian Games), ministry's stipulations etc are different matter. For the Asian Games, Govt funds Indian contingents fully.
IOC gets its money mainly from TV rights; quite often some American network buys them. Nowadays, TV rights are sold region-wise, thus IOC earning more money.
Outside of TV rights, IOC mainly earns its money from world-wide sponsors.

[prasen9]

There is very little downside to sending all three with someone else's money. So, I'd say send them.

[srini]

Not that Gracenote has predicted India's Olympic outcomes correctly anytime before, but just to take cognizance of the fact they published an updated virtual table on Feb29th.
https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/202 ... -forecast/

Gracenote thinks India got 7 medals at Tokyo but it may not even be getting 9 medals at Paris.It didn't explicitly say so but as they published only a partial table of top 30 countries in medals, bottom nation being Czech republic with 9 medals we can assume it reckons India will get less than 9 this time.

[prasen9]

Which is about correct? Sin Hombre predicts 7. Optimistically, 7-9, realistically maybe 5-9 is the range? Imho, at least. 9 would be a real stretch with everything aligning right for a lot of our top sportspeople ...

[srini]

^^
Right but the fact that Gracenote could never get it right in the curious case of India may continue to hold in 2024 too. So there is every chance India may beat their expectations for a change!

We are getting near to full quota of 24 in shooting this time, with already 19 just 3 below the Chinese. Any turn around in Chinese fortunes in shooting will catapult India to better outcome.