Athletes were not asked to leave early: Admin on row over IAS officer walking dog in Delhi stadium

The admin at Delhi's Thyagraj stadium has denied allegations that athletes were asked to leave early so that an IAS officer could walk his dog.

Thyagraj administrator Anil Chaudhary said athletes were not asked to empty the stadium early so that IAS officer Sanjeev Khirwar could walk his dog. Speaking to India Today, he said, "The official time for athletes to train is till 7 pm. After that, the coaches and athletes leave," he said. He declined to confirm or deny whether Khirwar was using the facility.

This comes amid the allegation that athletes at Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium were asked to leave early as an IAS officer sought to walk his dog there. Following the controversy, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government ordered all stadiums to remain open for players till 10 pm.

The order came after reports of Delhi Revenue Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar using the Thyagraj Stadium to walk his dog surfaced. Athletes were allegedly asked to wind up early to facilitate the walk.

Stadium administrator Anil Chaudhary denied the allegations and said that official timings were being adhered to.