17 over age athletes to return home from Youth Games

New Delhi, Aug 18:
Just a day after badminton players were thrown out of the second Youth Asian Games in Nanjing, China, 17 track and field athletes are set to return home due to official bungling as Athletics Federation of India has sent over aged players for the multi-sporting event.
The Youth Games meant for under 17 athletes — those born after January 1997 — but the AFI included 17 athletes born in 1996. This include gold medal prospect and youth season leader in Asia, Dutee Chand, who is tipped to win both girl’s 100 m and 200 m sprints.
In India athletes under 18 years of age are eligible in youth competitions.
“Yes they are returning home as the organisers in China have refused their participation in the Games” an AFI source said.
It is learnt that a three member AFI selection committee which include Secretary CK Valson and junior selection committee chief Rajinder Singh Saini and AFI executive A K Kesari picked the team and directly sent to Sports Ministry as Indian Olympic Association is serving a ban.
All together 27 track and field athletes were picked while 25 reached Nanjing. Out of 25, 17 will be returning home as they were found to be over 17 years of age.
The remaining eight will be participating in the track and field events which begins tomorrow.
Four Indian shuttlers were not included in the badminton draw of the games as the Badminton Association of India had sent late entries. (PTI)

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