The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Rathore is flag-bearer

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Saturday, Mar 04, 2006

Sport

Sport - Athletics

Rathore is flag-bearer

NEW DELHI: Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will be India's flag-bearer at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. The 12-day quadrennial games opens on March 15 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has got clearance for a jumbo contingent for the 18th edition of the Games. The squad comprises 93 men and 81 women athletes, 43 coaches, 15 managers and 16 doctors. For the first time, the IOA is sending 12 physically challenged athletes for the paralympic events at the Games.

India will be participating in 10 disciplines, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, gymnastics, hockey, shooting, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting.

Though the IOA announced the entire contingent on Friday, including 33 athletes, the final selection of athletes will take place only after the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) selection committee meets at the end of the Federation Cup being held here.

At a send-off ceremony here on Friday, the IOA President, Suresh Kalmadi, hoped India would fare better than it did at the 2002 Manchester Games. "Our athletes will have to work extra hard to win as many medals as we earned in 2002," Mr. Kalmadi said. India had finished fourth behind Australia, England and Canada with 69 medals — 30 gold, 22 silver and 17 bronze.

The closing ceremony of the Melbourne Games will be a special occasion, especially for New Delhi, as the Indians would carry home the Commonwealth Flag, being the host of the 2010 Games. New Delhi is ready to showcase itself at the closing ceremony wherein it has 15 minutes to present a cultural extravaganza before the flag is handed over and the flame doused. — Sports Reporter

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