Support staff row leaves CWG-bound Lisha Das in 'immense emotional distress'
Para-cyclist Lisha Das has expressed emotional distress over the lack of clarity regarding her support staff for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. She is specifically seeking the inclusion of her personal coach, Aditya Mehta, in her travel arrangements.
Why it matters
The situation highlights administrative friction between athletes and sports governing bodies, which can negatively impact the performance and mental well-being of competitors.
India's only para-cyclist at the Commonwealth Games, 16-year-old Lisha Das, has written to the country's top sports authorities, saying the uncertainty over her support staff and travel arrangements for Glasgow has caused her "immense emotional distress" just before the start of the Games.Lisha has sent the email to officials of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Cycling Federation of India (CFI), Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and the Sports Ministry.The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will be held on Thursday night.In her letter, Lisha said she is still waiting for clarity on the approval of her support team, which includes personal coach Aditya Mehta, female physiotherapist Dr Asha Shaikh and an experienced para-cycling technician.While Shaikh's travel was eventually cleared after repeated requests and court intervention, there is still no confirmation over Mehta's travel or accreditation.
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