Who will participate in the Winter Olympics in Italy?

Stanzin Lundup and Rauf Ahmad have been approved to participate in the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026.

Will the government fund the participation of Stanzin Lundup?

No, the Ministry has approved Stanzin Lundup's participation at no cost to the Government.

What was the court's decision regarding Manjeet's participation?

The Delhi High Court had previously held that the Indian Olympic Association's decision to exclude Manjeet was arbitrary and unfair and asked the IOA to facilitate his participation.

Home / Sports / Skier Approved for Olympics Amidst Controversy

Skier Approved for Olympics Amidst Controversy

6 Feb

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Summary

Stanzin Lundup will attend the Winter Olympics at no government expense.
Court had ordered Manjeet's inclusion, but participation change was impossible.
Ministry approval is an administrative measure, not endorsement of selection.

Skier Approved for Olympics Amidst Controversy

Cross-country skier Stanzin Lundup's participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy has been sanctioned by the Sports Ministry. Crucially, this approval comes with the stipulation that it will incur no cost to the government. This decision was made after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) informed that it was impossible to substitute Lundup with skier Manjeet, despite a Delhi High Court order highlighting the arbitrariness of Manjeet's exclusion.

The High Court had directed the IOA to facilitate Manjeet's participation. However, the IOA later explained to the court that replacing athletes was no longer feasible as the deadline for submitting entries for the Milan and Cortina Games had passed. The Ministry acknowledged this, noting that international authorities did not permit changes to the contingent, and any non-utilization of accepted quotas would mean no Indian representation in the event.