Rio OC threatens to cancel Vijay Goel’s accreditation

TIL Desk Sports/  The Rio Olympics’ organisers have threatened to cancel the accreditation of India’s Sports Minister, Vijay Goel, if unaccredited people accompanying him do not end their “aggressive and rude” behaviour.

“We have had multiple reports of your Minister for Sports trying to enter accredited areas at venues with unaccredited individuals. When the staff try to explain that this is not allowed, they report that the people with the Minister have become aggressive and rude and sometimes push past our staff,” Sarah Peterson, the Continental Manager for the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, said in a letter to India’s Chef-de-Mission, Rakesh Gupta. Goel is in Rio with the Indian contingent to monitor its requirements at the Games Village.

“As you can understand, this type of behaviour is not acceptable. Despite previous warnings, it would seem that even today the same incident occurred at the Rio Olympic Arena (Gymnastics venue) and Carioca Arena 3,” she added. Peterson said the minister’s accreditation could be cancelled because of this. “Should our protocol team be made aware of further examples of this type of behaviour, the accreditation of your Minister for Sports will be cancelled and his privileges at the Olympic Games withdrawn. We trust you will pass on this message urgently,” she said.