Para cycling coach pulls out in protest; boccia added

NEW DELHI: Para cycling chief coach Aditya Mehta on Wednesday withdrew from the Indian contingent for the Aichi-Nagoya Para Asian Games in protest after eligible cyclists were denied selection. Arshad Shaik is now the lone cyclist to travel to Japan, with only a technician for support.Mehta, who has spent 13 years developing Indian para cycling, said he could not abandon athletes whose “hard-earned opportunities have been taken away”. Mehta will stay back in India while sending Shaik with technician Ramesh Pandi, along with the necessary equipment and technical guidance.“I need to stand by my other athletes, who have worked equally hard but have been denied their opportunity to compete at the Games,” Mehta told TOI, warning that the decision could jeopardise India’s Los Angeles Paralympic qualification prospects.He said India’s Asian rankings — seventh in the men’s category and fourth in the women’s — underline the importance of competing and accumulating points at crucial international events. The actual impact on qualification will depend on the applicable rules and final slot allocation.Boccia gets last-minute clearanceIn a late reprieve, the sports ministry approved two Boccia athletes, Sachin Chamaria and Anjali Devi, for the individual events after initially withholding clearance. Their inclusion takes India’s athlete strength to 168, with 112 men and 56 women competing across 11 disciplines. The overall contingent now stands at 281, including 113 officials.Soaring airfaresIndia’s para athletes have also been hit by delayed clearances, triggering a logistical scramble with direct flights to Nagoya no longer available and fares reportedly soaring to five times their usual levels.Athletes now are flying to Tokyo before undertaking a roughly four-hour bus journey to Nagoya, TOIhas learnt. The late bookings leave little time for recovery after the long journey, with some events beginning on Friday.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.