Asian Games: India not to send jiu-jitsu team to Japan

NEW DELHI: India will not send a team for the jiu-jitsu competition at the Asian Games in Japan later this year, TOI has learnt.Sources said multiple factors led to India sporting authorities axing of the sport from the Sept 19 to Oct 4 Games in Aichi-Nagoya, ranging from governance issues in the national federation to limited chances of winning medals.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Earlier this year, the govt introduced a new flagship division, the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), modelled on the concept of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), to provide financial assistance to Asiad medal prospects. The aim was to support sports and athletes who might not deliver Olympic podium finishes but remained strong medal contenders at the Asian level. It has been learnt that jiu-jitsu did not fulfil certain criteria laid down by TAGG. The govt has been looking at cost-cutting measures while giving final shape to India’s contingent for the Asiad, both in terms of including prominent sports with a brighter chance of winning medals and those which can land a surprise podium finish.“There were several factors involved (in dropping the jiu-jitsu discipline from the Asiad list). There’s internal politics in federations, low probability of winning medals and not fulfilling the ministry’s own selection criteria.“It’s been decided that the Indian jiu-jitsu team won’t feature at the Games,” a source said.Jiu-Jitsu was included in the Asiad programme at Jakarta 2018 but India hadn’t named a contingent that time. At the Hangzhou Games in 2023, India sent an 11-member team.