New Delhi, Sep 24 (NationPress) In a move aimed at ensuring that only athletes with genuine potential for securing medals are selected for multi-disciplinary sports events, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has outlined selection criteria for the participation of individuals and teams in the 2026 Asian Games along with various other multi-sport competitions.

The ministry's official statement indicates that these selection criteria have set forth benchmarks for both measurable and non-measurable events, which will act as guiding principles for determining participation in major events like the Asian Games, Para Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Indoor Games, Asian Beach Games, Youth Olympics, Asian Youth Games, and Commonwealth Youth Games.

Additionally, it is important to note that the Olympics and other international competitions, where participation is governed by qualification standards established by respective international federations, are excluded from this criterion.

For measurable individual sports, an athlete will qualify for the Indian team if they have equaled or surpassed the 6th-place performance from the last Asian Games in a competition recognized by the international sports federation for that sport, conducted within the 12 months leading up to the upcoming Asian Games.

If the sport or event was not featured in the last Asian Games, the selection will be based on the benchmarks from the Senior Asian Championships for that sport or event held within 12 months prior to the upcoming Asian Games.

In the case of non-measurable individual sports, where the Senior Asian Championship took place within the last 12 months or where world rankings are regularly updated, an athlete who finishes in 6th place or better in their weight class or event at the last Senior Asian Championships, or whose World ranking is among the top six in Asia, will be considered for the team.

If there have been no Senior Asian Championships in the 12 months leading up to the upcoming Asian Games and no regularly published international rankings, the athlete must have ranked in the top 6 among Asian nations in comparable international competitions.

For team sports, such as football and hockey, or team events like relays and doubles, a team that has secured a top 8 finish in the last Senior Asian Championships held within 12 months or is ranked within the top 8 among Asian nations in international rankings will be considered for participation.

In cases where international rankings are unavailable or the Senior Asian Championship has not been conducted within the last 12 months, the team must have finished in the top 8 among Asian nations in equivalent international competitions.

The criteria include a relaxation clause, allowing the Ministry to make decisions based on expert recommendations if justifiable reasons for relaxing the criteria are presented by experts in specific sports or the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

The ministry's circular emphasized that participation may not be approved if the recommendations from National Sports Federations are solely for attendance and not aimed at achieving excellence.

Furthermore, the Ministry may deny participation if experts from specific sports and the SAI determine that the Asian Championships for a sport are being conducted irregularly to bypass rules, especially if the competition standard is low or if top nations expected to compete in the upcoming Asian Games are absent.

Lastly, it was clarified that only sportspersons, coaches, and support staff funded by the government will be part of the Indian contingent, with no additional personnel included, even at no cost to the government.