Asian Games 2018: Athletes fly back in economy class even as deputy chef de mission travels in business, say reports

Jakarta: The deputy chef de mission of the Indian contingent, RK Sacheti, was flying back home on a business class ticket while the athletes who competed at the Asian Games were made to travel economy class. [caption id=“attachment_4705521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Most Indian athletes fly economy and they are okay with that as long as the officials do the same. “They are here because of us. Not the other way around. I am okay flying economy but not if these officials are given better seats,” said a member of the Indian volleyball team on board SQ 967 from Jakarta to Singapore. Sacheti, in his defence, said he used his air miles to upgrade to business. “We too are supposed to fly economy but I have used my air miles to upgrade,” the top official from Boxing Federation of India (BFI) reasoned. The sports ministry had objected to this controversial official’s presence as one of the four deputy CDMs at the Games that concluded yesterday. But IOA cleared him on its own expense.