Jagdish misses flight due to coach confusion

New Delhi, Cross-country skier Jagdish Singh’s participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was today jeopardised as he could not board the flight for the South Korean city due to ambiguity over the coach accompanying him. Jagdish was to leave this evening, along with luger Shiva Keshavan, but both the Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) and the Army, Jagdish’s employer, wanted to have the final say on which coach would travel to Pyeongchang. Jagdish trains at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) at Gulmarg and is scheduled to compete in the 15-km Nordic freestyle event on February 16.
WGFI proposed the names of its president Col (Rtd.) Jodh Singh Dhillon and secretary general Roshan Lal Thakur but they were rejected by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) since it is a de-recognised body. HAWS recommended Major General Atul Kaushil — its commandant — to accompany Jagdish but IOA wanted to check his credentials whether he was actually Jagdish’s coach.
IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said that all the paperwork, ticket and kits for Jagdish were ready but he did not turn up to board the flight. He also said that HAWS had not replied to IOA’s mail to furnish details of its nominee.
Mehta said Jagdish’s travel schedule could be reworked and his ticket could be rebooked but it had to be before February 8. “IOA has not received the travel confirmation of Jagdish Singh,” Mehta wrote in the letter addressed to the OIC Army Winter Games Node at HAWS. “On February 8, there is the team welcome ceremony and a participating athlete should attend this ceremony.”
Meanwhile, Jagdish said: “I need a coach to accompany me. The coach is a must as he will have to do waxing (of his skis) and other things. But the name of the coach sent from here (HAWS) has not been accepted. I don’t know what will happen.”