The AFI official said that Air India refused to carry three poles measuring 5m each to be used by the two athletes, on the ground of some "technical issues" concerning prescribed length of the items.
Here's a look at some Indian-origin athletes who will be representing their adopted countries at the Paris Games
The 33-year-old midfielder from Punjab, a place synonymous with Indian hockey folklore, now stands as the second-highest capped Indian men's player of all time, behind only former Captain and current Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey (412 caps).
India's doping woes came to the fore once again with the country topping the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2023 testing figures among countries which analysed 5,000 or more samples even as the sports ministry promised an "aggressive clean-up" and an amended Anti-Doping Act after addressing objections from the WADA.
Double Olympic bronze-medallist shooter Bhaker finished sixth in 25m pistol after entering the eight-shooter final placed fifth with an aggregate 'precision' and 'rapid fire' score of 588.
Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medalist Gulveer Singh started his season strong by shattering a 16-year-old national record in the men's 3000m indoor race at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston.
India's Parul Chaudhary and Priti secured silver and bronze medals respectively in the women's 3000m steeplechase, unheralded Ancy Sojan made a grand entry on the big stage.
'if my body is giving me company why should I stop the sport? Some foreign athletes run till 35 or 37. So I wanted to set an example for other athletes that age does not matter,' says MR Poovamma, Arjuna Awardee and the senior-most member of the Paris Olympics-bound Indian women's 4x400m relay team.
Olympic gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra on Thursday requested all those who are part of the sports ecosystem to treat athletes like human beings and not medal-winning robots.
On the eve of the Diamond League in Doha, the two-time Olympic medallist and reigning world champion, sought to set the record straight when asked about his equation with Nadeem, who won the gold medal at the Paris Games last year.
'WFI must reverse all amendments made during its suspension and ensure checks and balances in decision-making within four weeks.'
India's Swapna Barman on Thursday tendered an "unconditional apology" for her sensational allegations that she lost out on a bronze medal in the women's heptathlon competition of the ongoing Asian Games to a "transgender" athlete.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said a number of moves had been initiated by the government to enable India make a breakthrough in realising its potential in sports. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the six-day online technical officials' seminar jointly conducted by the South Asian Athletics Federation and the Athletics Federation of India.
National record-holders Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary are also competing in the men's 5000m and women's 3000m steeplechase events respectively, making this the country maximum representation ever in a DL event.
'The monkey is off his back and he is now free to push his limits'.
The big names who will be bidding for a podium finish before bidding farewell...
Murali Sreeshankar has been ruled out of Paris Olympics after sustaining a knee injury during training.
India to send 446-member contingent to Asian Para Games
India's Kumaravel Prem Kumar bagged a silver in long jump on the final day of Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha.
Sagoo was the lone candidate left in fray after incumbent senior vice president Anju Bobby George opted out of the race for the position.
Gulveer Singh claimed India's fourth gold medal in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is among only three track and field athletes retained in the sports ministry's revamped TOPS core group.
Indian table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal has announced that the WTT Contender Chennai, scheduled for March 25-30, will be his last tournament as a professional athlete.
With these two latest additions, India's gold tally has swelled to three.
D P Manu, who finished sixth at the World Championships last year, is yet to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Virat Kohli may have stepped away from Test cricket, but he leaves behind a faster, leaner, hungrier Indian team.
Monday's timing will put India in the 21st place in the Road to Paris list of World Athletics while the aim was to be either in the 15th or 16th spot. India, thus, is in a difficult position to make the Paris cut.
The Mission Olympic Cell is also considering higher incentives for retired Olympians and world-class players who want to take up coaching, in an effort to retain top talent within India.
With 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze in their kitty, the Indian para athletes won four medals more than the record tally of 107 won by the able-bodied athletes in the Hangzhou Asian Games, held from September 23 to October 8.
Seventy two years ago, a newly independent India ventured to hold the the first Asian Games in Delhi with meager resources.
P V Sindhu said dealing with the rigours of training, disappointment as well as success is an ongoing process and an athlete must stick to it.
Aleksandrovich boasts an impressive career, with a personal best throw of 92.61m, a Russian national record set in Sheffield in 2002.
Neeraj Chopra will be the cynosure of all eyes as India begins its athletics campaign in the Asian Games
In keeping with the main theme of 'Tides Surging in Asia', the ceremony was about the intermingling of China, Asia and the world in the new era
India on Friday strongly protested China's decision to issue invalid visas to some of its athletes for the Asian Games.
Make track and field events more attractive and marketable, says Neeraj Chopra
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain is facing a weight class dilemma after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) scrapped her current 75kg category for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The boxer will either have to move down to 70kg or bulk up to +80kg.
'...we say that sport is this great phenomenon that is so wonderful and it's healthy and it's good for us all. Let's make sure that it doesn't bring suffering or disadvantage to anybody because of a major event that's come.'
Pranati Nayak, who represented the country at the Tokyo Olympics, came up with a total score of 13.417 in the vault final to finish third, behind American duo of Jayla Hang (13.667) and Claire Pease (13.567).
Check out how India's athletes fared on Day 7, Friday, August 2, 2024:
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