148-member contingent for Commonwealth Games

A 148-member contingent was cleared, on Thursday, to represent India in the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Manchester, from July 25 to August 4.

The Sports Ministry sent the approved list, containing the names of 106 athletes and 33 coaches and managers for participation in ten disciplines, to the Indian Olympic Association.

Nine officials will accompany the contingent.

The IOA had recommended the names of 175 sports persons and officials but the government pruned the list to 148.

Shooting, with 20 participants, forms the biggest delegation despite the government striking off 10 names submitted by the IOA.

One of the major medal hopes, the shooting contingent comprises 13 men and seven women, including the likes of Abhinav Bindra, Jaspal Rana, Anjali (Vedpathak) Bhagwat and Kuheli Ganguly.

The other disciplines in which India will participate are: athletics (5 participants), badminton (14), boxing (7), gymnastics (5), hockey (women), judo (9), table tennis (10), weightlifting (13) and wrestling (7).

Table Tennis Federation of India secretary Mool Chand Chouhan is the chef-de-mission of the contingent.

In the last edition of the Games, in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, India won 25 medals, 13 of which were from weightlifting.