The Hindu : Sport : I foresee a bright future for Indian sports: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 06, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

I foresee a bright future for Indian sports: PM

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh felicitated the medallists of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and hoped that the performance would be better on home territory when the action shifts to Delhi in 2010.

In a brief function at his residence on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister met the best athlete of the Commonwealth Games, Samaresh Jung, and most of the other medal winners in shooting, weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, athletics, women's hockey and badminton, along with the coaches and a host of officials. He made an inspiring speech but did not make any financial commitments.

"It is a matter of great pride that our team did well in the Commonwealth Games to finish fourth in the medals table and it is encouraging that we won medals in seven out of 10 disciplines,'' the Prime Minister said.

He stressed that Indian sports had taken off but it had not got what it deserved. "There is a vast latent talent that is lying untapped. Sports facilities need to be multiplied and young men and women need to be given adequate incentives. I will not go into the issues. I hope the system will find active ways to reward adequately those who have won laurels for the country. I pray and hope that our tally would go up when the action shifts from Melbourne to Delhi,'' the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Manmohan Singh also hoped that the Asian Games in 2014 would be hosted in India and reiterated that India would bid to host the Olympic Games.

Well done

"I foresee a bright future for sports in the country. Our government will ensure all support to the untapped talent. I congratulate all the organisers, coaches and athletes for the great saga of adventure and enterprise,'' concluded the Prime Minister.

The president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi, presented the Commonwealth Games flag to the Prime Minister, along with the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, the Lt. Governor B.L. Joshi, the Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, shooters Samaresh and Gagan Narang who had won nine gold medals between them.

In his address, the IOA president sought an increment in the rewards programme for the athletes and coaches, even as he highlighted the fact that the daily allowance had been reduced to $20 a day for the Melbourne Games, as compared to $50 during the Athens Olympics and $35 during the last Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

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