Hangzhou Asian Games gold medallist kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat has replaced Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India’s second flagbearer for the opening ceremony later on Saturday, September 19, with the latter still training at his base and not having flown into Nagoya yet.
Notably, Tajinderpal hasn’t received his kit yet and hence will not be available for the opening ceremony.
Toor was all set to join Paris Olympics bronze medallist shooter Manu Bhaker as one of India’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony. But Sehrawat, a member of India’s gold medal-winning men’s kabaddi team at the previous Asian Games, will now replace Toor at the ceremony, Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav said while speaking to PTI.
“I am told that my kit will reach at 3 pm at the
(Nagoya) airport. Reaching the opening ceremony venue after collecting my kit from the airport on time will be very difficult,” Toor said while speaking to PTI.
“So, I have told IOA that I am not coming for the opening ceremony. My kit is lying in India. Nobody in the athletics team has got their kits so far,” Toor added.
The athletics team has been training at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo since Sunday, September 13, as part of an acclimatisation camp. The contingent is scheduled to reach Nagoya on Monday, two days before the athletics events start.
Toor said that had he been informed about his role at the opening ceremony before Friday, he could have made arrangements to ensure he received the kit on time.
“IOA told me yesterday about me becoming flag-bearer. Otherwise, my coach, who arrived here yesterday, could have picked it (the kit) up for me,” Toor said.
Delay has become a recurring theme at the Asian Games. The traditional flag-hoisting ceremony in Nagoya, involving India and other contingents, was delayed on Friday and then disrupted before taking place after organisers resolved an unspecified ‘trouble’, adding to the criticism over the logistical chaos surrounding the Games.
