GUWAHATI: The Kerala Sports Council president, T.P. Dasan, on Sunday expressed satisfaction on the overall performance of the State's contingent at the 33rd National Games.

Addressing a press conference at the conclusion of the competitions at the ten-day event, the KSC president said the team's performance would have been better if the State had been able to field its full teams in football and basketball.

Kerala finished a creditable fourth in the overall medals tally with a haul of 31 gold, 19 silver and 25 bronze medals. At Hyderabad in 2002, the State was placed sixth with 21 gold, 27 silver and 20 bronze medals.

The overall performance, he said, should be viewed in the context that the State had gained qualification to participate in only 18 disciplines whereas competitions were conducted here in 32 events.

Room for improvement

"There is, of course, still room for improvement. But as of now, I am completely satisfied with the overall performance of the various Kerala teams which took part in the Games especially by the athletes, rowers and the badminton players," said Mr. Dasan.

Mr. Dasan, however, was critical about the inclusion of certain disciplines like wushu which were popular in only a handful of States. "Wushu, for example, is a Chinese sport which was introduced in the last Asian Games. In Doha, the sport offered only 12 gold medals while 32 gold medals were up for grabs here in spite of the fact that the sport was popular only in a few States. I am not sure how the Wushu Federation was allowed to do so. And in this connection, we have asked the Kerala Olympic Association to take up the matter with the Indian Olympic Association."

Blames railway authorities

Likewise, the KSC president said the failure of the Railway authorities in keeping their word of providing sufficient additional bogies had caused a great deal of hardship for the Kerala contingent, as a whole, during its journey from Thiruvananthapuram to attend the Games. "It was a simple step-motherly treatment," he said.

Mr. Dasan said that individual medallists from the State would be awarded Rs. 1.50 lakh for a gold medal, Rs. 1lakh for the silver and Rs. 50,000 each for the bronze. The prize-money to the winners would be distributed at a public function soon.

A complete review of the performances of the teams in the various disciplines would be undertaken and follow-up action taken soon so as to further improve Kerala's standing in the coming National Games to be held in Jharkhand next year, he said.

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