Asian Games 2018: IOA Says No To Sarees for Indian Women Athletes

Following the footstep of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where Indian women athletes donned blazers and trousers, the forthcoming Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games too will see them shunning the age-old tradition.

Each year at the Asian Games opening and closing ceremonies, we see India’s women athletes in traditional sarees with blazers on top, but the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to change it henceforth. The upcoming game is scheduled to be held in two Indonesia from August 18 to September 2, 2018.

Now the women are set to wear blue trousers and navy blue blazer, similar to the men’s dress.

Why this sudden change in attire?

IOA Secretary General, Rajeev Mehta said to the TOI: “We have decided that the two ceremonies at the Asiad will see the entire contingent maintaining a uniform dress code. The women athletes will sport the same attire they wore during the Gold Coast CWG.”

The decision was taken after a poll favoured the blue trousers and blazer over the regular combination of a saree and blazer for women athletes similar to the Gold Coast Games 2018. The blazers, with the India logo, have been uniform for both men and women athletes.

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Comfort over Tradition

The IOA thinks trousers offer greater comfort. The decision was taken after consulting several women athletes. In fact, the consideration of changing the attire came in the wake of many women athletes complaining about the discomfort the saree caused during such ceremonies.

The male athletes, too, will have a change in their attire. The traditional ‘bandhgalas’ will give way to trousers and blazer reported the TOI.

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Feature Image Credit: Hockey India

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