The Hindu : Sport : Fund crunch for skiers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Fund crunch for skiers

Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) is upbeat that four athletes have so far qualified for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. But the enthusiasm is riddled with hurdles as the WGFI has failed to melt ice with any of the prospective sponsors.

Hira Lal and Neha Ahuja, both alpine skiers, Gurung Bahadur Gupta, a cross country skier and Siva Kesavan in luge, have tallied the required points to make it to the 2006 Games, but the WGFI is finding it difficult to get funds needed for the eight-month training schedule before the Games open in the Italian ski resort.

"The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Solidarity Programme does offer funds for the prospective athlete but that is not enough for such a long training schedule we have planned for the qualifiers," said the WGFI President, Col. N. Kumar (retd.).

Col. Kumar said that since it would be India's largest participation in the Winter Olympics, the WGFI wanted to make sure that the Indians return with good positions. "Our aim is to come in top three among the Asian participants," he added.

National champion Gurung of Army has been lucky in the sense that the Services Sports Control Board has been able to arrange for his training in Norway. "I want to make full use of the training and do better in Turin," said Gurung, who was unceremoniously sent back from the Aamori Winter Asian Games. The Organising Committee had refused to accept him as an Indian though he served in the Indian Army. His passport had the address in Nepal, but that has been sorted out.

For others, the WGFI is still scouting for sponsors as the Ministry of Sports has winter sports in the non-priority list.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport