Kirti Azad calls for Olympics probe

Former Test cricketer and Member of Parliament Kirti Azad on Thursday demanded a high level probe into India's participation in the Sydney Olympics.

He asked why the Indian Olympic Association sent a delegation of 80 officials with the 72-member team of sportspersons for Games.

''Why were these officials sent? After all, many of them were from federations from where no athlete was representing India. Take a look at kabaddi or fencing. Why should officials representing this sport be sent to the Olympics, considering, in the first place, that this is not an Olympic sport. Yet the IOA sent members of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India to Sydney. Who will account for this scam?'' he asked.

In a statement on Thursday, the cricketer-turned-politician claimed that about Rs 15 million was spent on the officials alone for their travel, boarding and "frequent entertainment". There was more than one official for every athlete, he added.

"The then Minister of State for Sports Shahnawaz Hussain has adversely commented about the contingent after he cut short his visit and returned to India. He said most of the contingent members were out to have fun. This indeed is a serious observation from a responsible authority. This needs a thorough probe by the government,'' he said.

He said these sports officials have been occupying top slots in the federations and associations for several years and have become like old furniture, with no antique value.

He called for IOA president Suresh Kalmadi's resignation. ''The present president is a personal friend of mine, and if he does take such a step in the interests of Indian sport, he will not only go up in my esteem but also in the eyes of millions of sports lovers of the country.''

Azad alleged that on the air fare alone, the government shelled out Rs 2.5 million for the contingent of officials. Besides, Rs 7.5 million (the figure is likely to be more) was coughed up for boarding/lodging and other expenses. Also, our officials were so pleased by the performance of the Indian team that they even threw a party to entertain themselves lavishly in a top Sydney hotel, he alleged.

He also alleged that the expenses for that one fun-filled evening alone came to about US $40,000 (Rs 1.8 million). There were other such evenings too, he said.

Overall, he alleged, India hosted more entertainment nights than any other country, apart from the hosts. "In the fine art of entertainment at least they would have won a silver medal, as they were second to only to hosts Australia. Is this kind of splurging not a huge drain on our national resources?" he asked.

He said the scam is getting bigger. ''I have reliable information that many members of the 80 official delegates reached Sydney much after all medal hopes had been lost for India. Why did they then land up there? Is this not a national shame? Should they have left the country at all?''

Azad said, regrettably, crores of rupees were spent on ''grooming' athletes for the Olympics by sending them abroad for training over the last two years. "I want a probe as to how starving nations like Ethiopia produce world champions, and we seem to be getting nowhere despite training our athletes abroad year after year,'' he said.

UNI