A jumbo 944-member contingent proposed for the upcoming Incheon Asian Games in South Korea has been pruned to 679 following guidelines issued by the prime minister's office (PMO).

PM Narendra Modi himself is known to travel light and it seems the principle is now being applied to sports contingents.

"Questioning the need for so many officials in the delegation, the PMO suggested that a minimum number of officials, without affecting performance of players, should be included,' a top government official told the Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.

The initial figure of 944 -- 662 athletes and 282 coach/officials -- was proposed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), but hit a wall with the sports ministry wanting it cut by nearly a third.

The new whittled down 679-member contingent includes 516 athletes and 163 officials.

As a result of the cuts, India will participate in only 28 disciplines and won't take part in rugby 7s, 10-pin bowling, modern pentathlon, triathlon, soft tennis, fencing and beach volleyball.