Cash-starved SAI lowers medal expectations for CWG

New Delhi: Faced with a severe fund crunch and no immediate government help in sight due to ongoing general election, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has scaled down its medals target for the Commonwealth Games this year.

"The funds that have been given to SAI in the interim budget are woefully inadequate considering it is a CWG and Asian Games year. All the sports federations are unanimously asking for more money for athletes` training and exposure trips and there is nothing you can do about it until we have the next government," SAI Director General Jiji Thomson said. Out of the Rs.1219 crore earmarked for sports, Rs.165 crore have been kept aside for the National Sports Federations for looking after their athletes. Rs.160 crore was given to NSFs for the previous financial year. The figures suggest a stark change in government approach towards the Glasgow Games (July 23-August 3) and the Asian Games (September 19-October 4) in Incheon. A whopping Rs.678 crore were allocated for preparations before India hosted the the 2010 CWG in Delhi."Though the money we have should be enough for athletes` preparations for the two big events, more funds at this point of time would have been more than welcome. All NSFs want to send their players overseas for training but we don`t have money for all of them. I expect the next government to announce a reasonable hike and I hope it is not too late by the time it happens," said Thomson. Under the circumstances, it would be tough for India to better the performance of the 2010 CWG and Asian Games where it achieved its best ever medals tally. A concept paper of the Sports Ministry had earlier projected 125 medals in CWG and 75 in Asian Games, compared to 101 and 65 respectively of the 2010 editions. However, Thomson said the CWG target has been reduced to 75 considering the current financial situation and the absence of disciplines such as tennis and archery, which got India 12 medals including four gold in 2010, helping it attain second position in the medals tally. "They don`t have archery and tennis in Glasgow and considering the Games are being held in UK, all the top athletes are expected to take part. It was not the case in Delhi," pointed out Thomson. However, for Asian Games, the SAI expects the tally to increase from 65 to 90 medals and overall standing from sixth to fourth. Thomson also confirmed that India will take part in 13 out of 17 disciplines at Glasgow and 30 out of 36 events at Incheon, adding the priority disciplines for mega-events are shooting, wrestling, boxing, badminton and athletics. A top official of a sports federation said it was highly unlikely that India will repeat the feat of 2010. "There has to be a difference in the outcome when you have been preparing for six months instead of the two and a half years of top quality training you had before the last CWG and Asian Games," said an official of the Table Tennis Federation of India.