Army should have handled CWG preparations: Milkha Singh
Milkha Singh said it would have been better for the country had Army handled all the preparations.
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New Delhi: With scams marring the build up to
the Commonwealth Games, an agitated sprint legend Milkha Singh
said it would have been better for the country had Army
handled all the preparations for the mega event.
Singh, who flew to London for the launch of the Queen
Baton Relay, trained guns at Suresh Kalmadi and held the OC
chairman responsible for all the mess.
"India`s reputation is getting tainted. The proceedings
in Parliament is also getting interrupted due to all this and
the Organising Committee is responsible for that.”
"I told Kalmadi eight years ago that we should start
helping the athletes in their preparation for the Delhi Games
but he ignored the advice. It would have better had Army
handled the overall preparation. The players also would have
learned discipline," Singh told reporters.
The way things have panned out, a livid Singh said India
should not even think of hosting big events.
"They brought me to London and also Melbourne before
that. But I am sorry to say that Kalmadi and Bhanot dictate
the terms on all matters and they don`t listen to anyone else.”
"India should not even think about hosting Asian Games or
the Olympics until the whole system changes."
Singh, known as flying sikh in his hey days, said Kalmadi
should quit in the wake of all the allegations.
"India`s reputation is at stake but still the members of
the Organising Committee are doing politics. If the whole
process is really transparent, Kalmadi should resign and
conduct a probe.”
"Kalmadi and Lalit Bhanot are doing whatever they feeling
like. Not only the country but the whole world today knows
about the irregularities in preparation of the Games.
Everyone, including the Indian Olympic Association, wants
Kalmadi to quit.”
"I often go to abroad with my golfer son (Jeev) and there
people respect India. But these people are spoiling that
reputation," he said.
Singh also said the delay in the completion of the venues
will hurt India`s medal prospects.
"London will host the Olympics in 2012 but they have
already made the cycling tracks available to their athletes
for practice. Here we have the Games just two months away and
till now most of the stadiums are not available to the
players.”
"I think, it would be more humiliating for the country
when our athletes would return empty handed at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium because they are not being allowed to get used
to with the facilities there," he said.
PTI
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