GLASGOW: First it was the ceremonial kit (story broken by Express) that created a stir before the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Then, there were instances of some teams competing without official jerseys.
Now, in a more embarrassing episode, one of India’s most famous sportspersons — Beijing Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh — was seen wearing a jersey different from others in his inaugural fight on Saturday. It was a red vest because he was fighting in the red corner, but India’s crest on it was missing and the brand was also different.
Why? It has been learnt that his jersey was misplaced by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Even the kit the other boxers got was a bit awkward. The word INDIA was written in full and large font. According to International Boxing Association’s rule, India’s name should not be more than 100 sq cm. The team management finally had to improvise, and so they removed the last two letters IA and brought it down to size.
There is more. Some of the kits that have been given to athletes and officials here are misfits.