The Hindu : Sport : Kerala to field strong squad

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Sunday, Feb 04, 2007
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Sport - Sports : General

Kerala to field strong squad

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will field a 392-strong contingent for the 33rd National Games to be held at Guwahati from February 9 to 18, said Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar at a press conference here on Saturday.

The minister said that Kerala would take part in 18 disciplines and the squad will leave for Assam in two batches.

The first batch will leave for Assam on Feb. 4 and the second on Feb. 6. The Minister said that the dates were fixed in such a way that the athletes would be able to take part in the march past.

Request

Mr. Vijayakumar said that the sports ministry has requested the State Government to enhance the prize money of the medal winners of the National Games.

The minister expressed hope that Kerala would better its performance in forthcoming National Games and would finish higher than the sixth place it got at the previous games in Hyderabad.

The Minister said the coaching camp for the athletes was conducted in a professional manner under the supervision of a steering committee formed specifically for that.

He said the athletes and the coaches were paid a daily allowance of Rs. 100 and he added that Rs. 25, as pocket money, would be given to all sportspersons taking part in the National Games.

S. Rajiv has been chosen as the chef-de-mission and Mr. Vijayakumar will be the deputy chef-de-mission.

International boxer K.C. Lekha will be the flag-bearer during the march past.

The Minister said that State Sports Lottery would be closed on February 10.

Terming it as an experiment, the sports minister said that the total sales were way below the target.

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