No oversized contingent, says Kalmadi

Onkar Singh in Delhi

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi on Tuesday denied that an oversized contingent is being sent for the forthcoming Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Reiterating the IOA's commitment that only those who qualify will go, Kalmadi said: "I still maintain that only those who deserve to be there will be in the Indian contingent."

He informed that the Amateur Athletics Association of India is still to decide on the the size of its team. Asked if 40 athletes will be going, he said: "If 40 have qualified according to the standards set by the AAFI then I can do very little about it. But we have still not taken a final decision. I think the athletics team will not consist of more then 25 members at the maximum."

Kalmadi also admitted that he too was shocked by the omission of woman weightlifter Kunjarani Devi. "We are meeting this evening to thrash out the issue," he added.

Sources within the IOA pointed out that since Kalmadi is president of both the IOA and AAFI he is being soft on the qualifying standards for the athletes, a charge he vehemently denies.

There is also displeasure within the shooting association over the inclusion of a shooter. "Anwar (Sultan) has not been performing well and he has been included in the Indian side at the cost of another promising boy who has been consistent," alleged an official of the association.

Randhir Singh, secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association, said that IOA is committed to send a small size contingent at the Olympic Games. "All those who are going are not medal winners. Our main hope lies in boxing, hockey, women's weightlifting and tennis. If we get a medal in any other sphere it would be a bonus," he said.

P T Usha, who flew into the capital this evening to attend a special function, refused to name any woman athletes she felt would do well at the Games. "All those who have qualified will do well. I am not at all disappointed. After all, I have represented the country many times before and done my job. I wish all those who are going to participate in the Olympic Games good luck. The Indian men's team is putting up a good performance and with a little bit of luck and hard work they can pull off a surprise," she said.

She said she now planned to concentrate on coaching and would be setting up her coaching academy in Kerala soon. "The state government has given me 30 acres of land and Rs 15 lakh to set up this academy. I hope the paper work of transfer of land will be over in the next two months and if all goes well I will be able to make the academy functional in the next two years," said the former golden girl of the Indian athletics.