India were forced to make a last-minute change in their male flagbearer at the Asian Games opening ceremony, replacing shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor with kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat. The Indian Olympic Association confirmed this with a short statement. “Due to technical issues, Tajinderpal Singh Toor will not be able to be India’s flagbearer. Pawan Sehrawat will be India’s male flagbearer today.” Toor was to lead out the Indian contingent at the athletes parade with shooting star Manu Bhaker later on Saturday.

According to a report on news agency Press Trust of India, Toor had to be replaced because the shot-putter had not yet received his official kit, which will prevent him from attending the gala event.

“I am told that my kit will reach at 3pm at the (Nagoya) airport. Reaching the opening ceremony venue after collecting my kit from airport on time will be very difficult. So, I have told IOA (Indian Olympic Association) that I am not coming for opening ceremony,” Toor told PTI. “My kit is lying in India. Nobody in the athletics team has got their kits so far,” he revealed.

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Toor is one of India’s biggest gold medal hopefuls in track and field at the Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya after Neeraj Chopra pulled out of the event due to an injury.

Toor told PTI had he was made aware that he would be India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony only on Friday, which is why he could not get his kit on time.

“IOA told me yesterday about me becoming flag-bearer. Otherwise my coach who reached here yesterday could have picked it (the kit) up for me,” he said. PTI

India’s athletics contingent, which will be one of the biggest sources of medals for India at these Asian Games, has been training at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo since September 13 as part of an acclimatisation camp and is scheduled to reach Nagoya on September 21, two days before the start of athletics events.