Only participants born in January 1997 or later are eligible for the Games yet 18 athletics competitors and six weightlifters have been disqualified after it was discovered that they were born during the previous year.

Four Indian badminton players have also returned home after it was discovered that their names had not been entered by the Badminton Federation of India and that they were therefore ineligible to compete.

These scandals mark the latest setback for Indian Olympic sport after a tumultuous few months that have already seen the country suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC.)

Indians athletes were indeed only competing here as independent athletes rather than doing so under their own flag.

The overage scandal follows India's suspension from the IOC which deems their athletes unlikely to be able to compete under the Indian flag in Rio 2016 - as they did here at London 2012


The track and field competitors were selected despite their age by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), although as neither the Sports Authority of India (SAI) nor the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) raised objections all three bodies are accountable.

All three, however, have refused to admit any responsibility and have blamed the embarrassment on confusion at the event - organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) - which is for under-17s, while next year's Youth Olympics - organised by the IOC - will be for under-18s.

With the exception of one long-jumper from Myanmar, nobody else has yet fallen foul of the age rules and the Indian Sports Ministry has ordered an inquiry to discover where the blame truly lies.

Kush Kumar provided a rare highlight for Indian at the Asian Youth Games with a gold in the men's singles squash event





The IOC suspended India for violating the Olympic Charter after Government interference as well as other suspicious practices in the IOA the election process and they are expected to still be unable to send athletes under the Indian flag at Rio 2016.

The Indian athletes who are not overage attempted to produce some sort of atonement through their performances and successes so far have included a squash gold medal for Kush Kumar and a golf silver for Manu Gandas.

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