Star Indian table tennis player Manika Batra, on Sunday evening tweeted her ordeal highlighting the mismanagement by national carrier Air India.
Batra in her tweet said that a team of seven Indian players, including her, were denied boarding on an Air India Delhi-Melbourne flight due to overbooking.
Batra had tagged Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office in her tweet.
Our contingent of total 17 players & officials of Indian table tennis team including CWG medalist myself, Sharath Kamal, Mouma Das, Madhurika, Harmeet, Suthirta, Sathyan were supposed to fly today to Melbourne by AI 0308 to participate in ITTF World Tour Australian Open from tom
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) July 22, 2018
“Our contingent of total 17 players and officials of Indian table tennis team including CWG medalist myself, Sharath Kamal, Mouma Das, Madhurika, Harmeet, Suthirta, Sathyan were supposed to fly today to Melbourne by AI 0308 to participate in ITTF World Tour Australian Open from tom,” she wrote.
Contd- On reaching Air India counter we were told dat flight is overbooked &only 10 members of TT team can fly which left us in a shock.7 of us are still unable to fly.All the tickets were booked by Balmer Lawrie.@Ra_THORe @PMOIndia Shocked at such mismanagement by @airindiain
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) July 22, 2018
Neelam Kapur, Director General of Sports Authority of India, immediately responded to Manika's tweets and promised to look into the matter.
Batra later posted a photograph of herself on Twitter with a boarding pass in hand and thanked Neelam Kapur for taking prompt action and getting the tickets booked.
I would like to thank @NeelamKapur mam for the prompt action and getting our tickets booked for tonight. Finally got my boarding pass and flying soon. Thanks @Media_SAI @Ra_THORe sir @PMOIndia sir pic.twitter.com/ciZPt07fAB
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) July 22, 2018
“I would like to thank @NeelamKapur mam for the prompt action and getting our tickets booked for tonight. Finally got my boarding pass and flying soon. Thanks @Media_SAI @Ra_THORe sir @PMOIndia sir,” Batra tweeted.
Terming the incident unfortunate, Air India tendered an apology to the Indian table tennis team. In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said, "This was a very unfortunate incident, we apologise to the players and we are arranging next available flights."
The ITTF World Tour Australian Open is set to begin on Monday.