World Selection Committee is a team of people who decide which robots should be accepted fully, partially, as reserves, or rejected ahead of each BattleBots season. They are also responsible for determining Fight Night schedules for each accepted competitor. They are tasked with making subjective decisions that often allow competitors with entertaining fights and close losses to carry as much weight as those with better records.
Unlike most national selection committees, which are made up entirely of experienced cricketers, the World Selection Committee has two surprise members from the non-test playing regions: Surendra Bhave from Maharashtra and Raja Venkatraman from East Zone. Both of them are relatively young men who have never played a Test match for India, but they are well-regarded in the domestic game and will bring some youthful energy to the table.
Veteran batsman and South Zone selector Kris Srikkanth is the clear leader of the pack, though he will be joined by North Zone selector Yashpal Sharma and West Zone selector Vijay Kumar for his second stint as a national selector. The other members – South Zone’s Anil Kumble and East Zone’s Sudeep Chatterjee – have all played competitive cricket for India, though their records are a bit more mixed than Srikkanth’s.
The top six all-around athletes at the U.S. women’s world championships team selection camp will earn spots on the squad for next month’s competition in Antwerp, Belgium. The remaining five – and one traveling alternate – will be chosen by the ASC after more routines at this week’s event in Katy, Texas. Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles is considered a lock to make the final roster, but other gymnasts will need strong performances to land spots.
Biles and 2022 Olympic team silver medallist Jade Carey are among them. They should be able to qualify for the six-member squad if they finish first or second in the all-around at this week’s selection camp. Leanne Wong and Jordan Chiles are other top contenders who need good performances this week. Chiles, who finished fifth in the all-around at nationals, can improve her scores on vault and bars.
The biggest challenge for this panel will be keeping the peace. It comes at a time when tensions between the Indian selection and coaching staff and the board are running high following India’s semi-final defeat by New Zealand in the World Cup. The snub of Ambati Rayudu, who was left out of the squad for the tournament despite being a key player in India’s run to the last four, has reignited the debate over selection policy. Gambhir’s criticism of the committee, which is headed by MSK Prasad, has further stoked those fires.