New Delhi:
An RTI query to know who was the coach and manager of the wrestling team that won the bronze medal at Beijing Olympics has provided contradictory replies, prompting authorities concerned to press for the correct information.
The controversy concerns the identity of the coach and manager of the bronze-medal winning wrestling team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 as sought by an RTI applicant. The reply, however, had contradictory information as government records and those of the Indian Olympic Association vary.
In the RTI reply, Education Directorate of Delhi Government has said DE (Sports) Satpal and Additional DE (Sports) Ramphal went as wrestling coaches to Beijing. Whereas, according to IOA, Piara Ram Sondhi was the coach and Kartar Singh was the manager.
Irked by the contradictory information provided by two sports bodies, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi directed the Education Directorate to look at the records based on which this information was provided.
"Confirm with the IOA about the names of the coach and the manager who had gone with the wrestling team to the Beijing Olympics. It is indeed a sad comment that trying to get information about the officials who go with the national team leads to such contradictory results," he said.
The case relates to an RTI application filed by Ashok Bhasin of the The Delhi Sportsmen Association in which he had sought to know from Education Directorate the list of players, officials, coaches in international events like Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships for the last three years.
"Information obtained from IOA and from the Directorate of Education's sport branch show different coaches and managers as having gone with the wrestling team to the Beijing Olympics," the Commission noted.
Bhasin claimed although Ramphal had gone as wrestling coach on behalf of the Delhi Government, the entire credit and rewards as coach for the bronze medal won by Sushil Kumar was given to Satpal.
The controversy concerns the identity of the coach and manager of the bronze-medal winning wrestling team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 as sought by an RTI applicant. The reply, however, had contradictory information as government records and those of the Indian Olympic Association vary.
In the RTI reply, Education Directorate of Delhi Government has said DE (Sports) Satpal and Additional DE (Sports) Ramphal went as wrestling coaches to Beijing. Whereas, according to IOA, Piara Ram Sondhi was the coach and Kartar Singh was the manager.
Irked by the contradictory information provided by two sports bodies, Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi directed the Education Directorate to look at the records based on which this information was provided.
"Confirm with the IOA about the names of the coach and the manager who had gone with the wrestling team to the Beijing Olympics. It is indeed a sad comment that trying to get information about the officials who go with the national team leads to such contradictory results," he said.
The case relates to an RTI application filed by Ashok Bhasin of the The Delhi Sportsmen Association in which he had sought to know from Education Directorate the list of players, officials, coaches in international events like Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships for the last three years.
"Information obtained from IOA and from the Directorate of Education's sport branch show different coaches and managers as having gone with the wrestling team to the Beijing Olympics," the Commission noted.
Bhasin claimed although Ramphal had gone as wrestling coach on behalf of the Delhi Government, the entire credit and rewards as coach for the bronze medal won by Sushil Kumar was given to Satpal.
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