New Delhi: In another case of shocking mismanagement at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, Indian sprinter Devyaniba Zala was forced to sit out after her name was unjustly dropped from the women’s 400m event. Zala’s name initially appeared on the official start list, but by the time she reached the venue, it had disappeared without any explanation. As a result, no Indian athlete was able to participate in the race.
Zala, the National Games 400m bronze medallist, is not the first Indian athlete to be treated unjustly and unfairly at the World University Games. The eyebrow-raising incident came to light a day after six Indian badminton players were denied the right to participate due to an administrative failure to fill out the required paperwork from the team officials.
Twin incidents raise eyebrows over management, or lack of it at World University Games
The twin cases have raised serious questions on transparency, integrity, and official negligence at the prestigious event.
The incident caught the attention of the netizens after Devyaniba Zala’s Instagram post, which mentioned the evidence of her official entry into the event and a paper that was used to write another athlete’s name. She also shared the official communication from the Kalinga Institute of Technology mentioned the substantial Rs 2.5 lacs fee.
“I have been preparing for this event for over a year and was in good shape to clock a PB and make it to the 400m final and do something special. But when the start list for Day 1 came out last evening, my name in the entry went missing from the 400m women’s list,” Devyaniba wrote on her Instagram post.
“The official of the team tells me that the date and time for submission are over, and we are trying. But when it is a global competition, how can a world committee accept an entry which is scribbled and written with a pen?” a heartbroken Devyaniba asked.
“It might be very casual for the officials, but not to me, being an athlete who has missed the entry this way at the global competition,” Devyaniba added.
“A fee of 2.50lakh Rupees to represent my country, and I miss out on getting an entry at the final moment,” the caption of the post read.
Credit: Insta/@devyanibazala_The 23-year-old Saurashtra sprinter has a personal best of 53.17 seconds, which she clocked in April earlier this year.