The The Sports Authority of India has instructed national sports federations to hold back announcements of their Asian Games squads until the government gives its approval.

The directive, issued as India moves to finalise its contingent for the continental event, asks federations not to post selected teams on official websites or social media platforms before clearance is granted.

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Hold the applause for now

In the communication, SAI asked Senior Development Officers to pass on the message to federation heads and said, “We will inform everyone about the selected team once it is approved by the govt.”

The instruction makes it clear that squad names should not be treated as final in public until the formal approval process is completed.

Not everyone is convinced

The directive is believed to be linked to recent selection issues. Table tennis player Manika Batra publicly criticised selectors after being named only a reserve in the Asian Games squad, while Olympian Anush Agarwalla questioned the process used to finalise the equestrian team after his omission.

These disputes formed part of the backdrop to SAI’s message to federations.

The curtain stays drawn a little longer

Most federations had already completed their selections, sent the names to the Indian Olympic Association and uploaded squad details online. After the latest communication from SAI, several national sports federations began taking down those posts.

That suggests the instruction was intended to be acted on immediately rather than treated as a routine advisory. The development places the final public announcement of the Asian Games contingent firmly in the government’s hands for now.

For athletes, the move means that even selections cleared internally by federations may not be publicly confirmed until the official approval stage is over. For federations, it signals a more controlled communication process at a time when squad decisions are already under scrutiny.

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FAQs

Q1: Why has SAI asked federations to hold back Asian Games team announcements?
Ans: SAI has directed federations not to announce Asian Games squads publicly until the government grants final approval.

Q2: Which athletes are linked to the recent Asian Games selection controversy?
Ans: The reported selection disputes involve table tennis player Manika Batra and equestrian Olympian Anush Agarwalla.