'Training gear ignored for competition apparatus': National coach questions gymnastics federation

National gymnastics coach Rakesh Patra has called on the Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) to reconsider its planned equipment order for the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, claiming the governing body favoured event gear over specialised training tools and failed to seek input from national coaches prior to issuing the tender.

In a communication dispatched to GFI President Sudhir Mital, with copies routed to the Director General of the Sports Authority of India and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Patra—who is slated to be stationed at the NCOE—stated that neither he nor the women's head coach were brought into consultations when drafting the supply list, despite serving as the primary users of the venue.

"The absence of any consultation raises legitimate questions regarding: Who prepared the equipment list; What technical expertise formed the basis of the selection; Whether any Technical Committee or expert group examined and approved the list; and whether the requirements of the National Coaching staff were considered at all," Patra noted in his letter.

"A procurement of this magnitude should necessarily be based upon extensive technical consultation with the National Coaches, Technical Committees and the athletes who will ultimately use the facility."

The governing body, however, maintained that consulting active coaching staff was unnecessary.

"It was not required because Mr Bishweshwar Nandi, who is a Dronacharya awardee coach, Dr GS Bawa, who has been the chief national coach, Dr C Prabhakar, who is himself a vice-president, they were the technical evaluation committee, and they are all respectable figures, so not required," GFI President Sudhir Mital told the Press Trust of India.

When questioned regarding Patra's submission, Mital added: "The mail was marked to SAI and others, so we will respond to them."

The federation published a Request for Proposal (RFP) on 11 July to acquire 37 non-consumable gymnastics items for the centre via the Proprietary Article Certificate (PAC) channel, nominating Swatantra Stores in Patiala to supply Gymnova apparatus.

Patra, a former international gymnast, asserted that the outlined order resembles a tournament venue rather than an elite training facility, highlighting that the requisition predominantly covers competition gear while excluding crucial developmental equipment like rebounders, safety rigs, training vaults, height-adjustable high bars, mushroom trainers, low balance beams, and modular training accessories standard across major global facilities.

The tender documents encompass items such as a competition floor, uneven bars, balance beam, vaulting tables, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, horizontal bar, landing mats, and trampolines among the 37 listed products.

"An examination of the 37 items proposed in the RFP indicates that the overwhelming majority are competition apparatus. There is comparatively very little emphasis on specialised training equipment that is indispensable for safe, progressive and modern high-performance training," stated Patra, a former national champion who represented India at five World Championships alongside several Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

"A National Training Centre should not merely replicate a competition field of play. Rather, it should provide coaches with every possible tool required for technical progression, skill development, injury prevention and athlete safety."

Patra also pointed to technical discrepancies in the proposal, including the inclusion of two competition vault tables alongside a single runway, three sets of competition landing mats, an insufficient supply of springboards for a national academy, and references to a FIG-approved Gymnova trampoline, which he indicated requires further verification.

He additionally queried the choice to source gear exclusively from Gymnova through the PAC route, arguing that whilst the French firm produces high-grade apparatus, alternative FIG-certified global manufacturers manufacture gear of equal calibre.

He suggested that an open competitive bidding process could secure greater value for public funds while allowing the procurement of additional specialised training apparatus.

Patra urged the GFI to re-examine the inventory list, consult national coaches, technical bodies, and elite gymnasts before finalising the purchase, and rectify the technical oversights to ensure the centre develops into a world-class training hub.

In a related matter, Odisha-based complainant Balunkeshwar Sahoo has submitted a representation to the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Sports Authority of India, alleging financial irregularities and potential corruption surrounding the GFI's proposed apparatus deal for the NCOE.

In his filing, Sahoo questioned the federation's rationale for employing the PAC mechanism for Gymnova products, contending that multiple global vendors provide FIG-certified equipment and that statutory criteria for single-source procurement under Rule 166 of the General Financial Rules were not satisfied.

He has formally requested an independent probe alongside an immediate stay on the procurement process pending a full review.

PTI