Star pullouts won`t affect Commonwealth Games: Kalmadi

M R Mishra
New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The increasing number of star
pullouts may be taking the sheen off the Commonwealth Games
but Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi is not too
worried, saying there will be plenty of world champions in
action and those who have withdrawn have done so because of
injury.
Kalmadi said that a clear picture of the list of athletes
would emerge only on September 3 when the countries would have
to submit the entries by name.
The OC chairman is unfazed by the pullouts of
crowd-pullers such as sprint stars Usain Bolt and Asafa
Powell, swimming sensation Stephanie Rice and tennis players
Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur.
Asked whether the pullouts were a worrying factor,
Kalmadi said, "No, not at all. Because many top world class
stars are coming. A few are not coming because of injury."
"Bolt has not gone in the last four five events because
he was not well. Whether anybody will come or not will be
known only on September 3 when the countries will give their
entries by name. Entry by general category has been going on,"
Kalmadi told PTI in an interview.
The Indian Olympic Association chief said in the absence
of big names, new stars would be made at the Games.
"Lots of world champions are coming. Few have backed out
not because of any other reason but injury. Stephanie Rice has
backed out because she was injured. Shelly Ann-Fraser was
caught in a dope case. Chris Hoy's taking part in Olympics
depends on that event (European Championships)," he pointed
out.
"Anyway if somebody is not coming a new champion, a new
star will come up. Bolt is not coming but other athletes who
are just 0.02 or 0.03 different (in timing) will come. So new
champions will happen, I am happy with that. The 71 Chefs de
Mission who have come here were happy with the Games so they
have told us that most of their athletes are coming," he
asserted.
Asked whether he was upset about the corruption
allegations that have come about in the last month or so,
Kalmadi said he had all along maintained that nothing wrong
was done and all the proposals were cleared through the
executive board of the OC.
"You must remember we had taken a big team for the bid. A
third world country has got the Games after 60 years. Most of
the times the Games were held in England, Australia, Canada or
New Zealand. So it was a challenge to show that a third world
country can do it. There have been a lot of challenges," he
said. MORE PTI