The hand-picked team has not been put through the mandatory coaching as yet. The officials, however, claim that the Indian contingent will be provided coaching at Korea itself. These players are to represent India only in the Alpine Skiing and Cross Country events out of a total of eight disciplines.Three Olympians and four International players have not found place in the Indian squad and there is no convincing explanation for their non-inclusion.Coach Nazir Bhat fears that the selection without proper training will have adverse teams performance. ``Agreed the coaching have been marred by no snowfall, but the WFI, even after receiving the charter for the Asiad, did not bother to conduct summer coaching camps that would have atleast helped in the players' conditioning,'' he said.

About 35 players had earlier enlisted forthe trials at Gulmarg but due to snowfall, the trial could not be held during the stipulated period between December 23 and January 3. The officials, however, did not wait and announced the team on January 4.

The majority of the skiers who had come here to give trials have objected to the selection and called it arbitrary. The trials could well have been delayed for a few days as the Games are to begin only from January 30, averred disappointed hopefuls.

Colonel N Kumar, president of the Winter Games Federation of India, told The Indian Express that since there was not enough time, they have to select the final team on the basis of their performance during the last National Winter Games held at Gulmarg in January '98 and later the Skiing festival at Auli (UP).

Earlier, WFI had asked the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department for making necessary arrangements for the trials for 35 athletes and skiers from different states, selected for the pre-Asiad. The final team was to then undergo intensive coachingupto January 20 under the selected coach Bhat.The dropped players from Jammu and Kashmir have alleged favoritism in the selection by WFI. ``I don't understand how they have rejected me, as I could not participate in the giant slalom event during the last National Winter Games due to bad weather,'' said Gul Mustafa, an Olympian.

Insha Nazir the only J&K bronze medallist during the Gulmarg Games, has also not figured in the final team. The lack of fund is being extended as the reason for selecting only two girls -- Dicky Dolma and Neha Ahuja -- instead of three. The selection of Neha, who has not played during the National Winter Games and had participated in Auli festival, is being resented by those left out.