The World Selection Committee is the group of people who ultimately decide which applications are accepted fully, partially, or not at all ahead of a BattleBots season. They also meet during the season to determine which robots best deserve to advance past the Fight Night stage and into the Round of 16. This subjective process often allows competitors with worse records but more entertaining fights or close losses to carry as much weight as those with comparatively unimpressive wins.
The panel is made up of members from the public, business, entertainment, media and nonprofit/foundation communities. It is a non-profit entity that is governed by a Board of Directors and has staff support to ensure the smooth operation of the committee.
As part of the committee’s mandate, the panel seeks to bring together leaders from different sectors and industries to promote discussion and debate about important national issues that impact women. This includes identifying, developing and delivering policy recommendations for the government and other key decision-making bodies. The committee also seeks to identify women who have been impacted by policy decisions and provide support for those who may be seeking to take up leadership roles in the future.
Aside from its role as a forum for discussion and debate, the committee is also tasked with overseeing and monitoring the progress of the national action plan for gender equality. In doing so, it aims to ensure that the government is meeting its obligations and targets under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The selection committee has two days of competition and the highest scoring all-around athlete will lock their spot on the team. However, the final lineup won’t be known until Wednesday when the other five gymnasts (plus one traveling alternate) are named.
USAG will use several factors to select the squad, including the performance of the top six athletes at the camp; results from the American Classic, GK U.S. Classic and the national championships; D and E scores from any official international assignments or national events; consistency; world-class presentation; and readiness to compete.
Kris Srikkanth will lead this new committee, with Yashpal Sharma representing the North and Surendra Bhave from the West Zone making his debut as a national selector. Both have stayed in the game since they retired from playing competitive cricket and have been involved as coaches. Another surprise addition is Raja Venkatraman from the East Zone, who is a first-class coach. The other three have been involved as selectors in the past, but it is the first time this panel will be selecting a national team for a Test series.