Commonwealth Games, Milkha Singh blames OC for ignoring sports legends
Milkha Singh, a legendary athlete on Monday criticised the organizing committee of the Commonwealth Games for not providing a proper position to the former sportsmen during the fabulous opening ceremony of the event on Sunday.
Milkha, who captured a gold medal in four hundred and forty yard race in the 1958 edition of the event back in Cardiff, was of the view that former athletes, who had performed brilliantly for the Indian side were not even allowed entry to the VIP gate last
night in New Delhi.
"We were told to enter from gate number fourteen. Why were not we allowed entry from the VIP gate? The athletes who recorded historic performances either in Commonwealth Games, Olympics or Asian Games should have been given a prominent place during the opening
ceremony", said Milkha Singh on Monday.
He was of the view that he even requested Suresh Kalmadi, who is the OC Chairman, for prominent and separate seating arrangements, for the former athletes in the opening ceremony. However, he was extremely disappointed as no one really paid any attention
to his request.
"I had written to Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Suresh Kalmadi two months ago requesting that these former legends be seated at a separate gallery at the stadium so that public can see that they have toiled hard to bring laurels to India", he informed
the reporters on Monday.
He further said that he was also very sad as no other former athletes including Sriram, P T Usha, and in fact Kapil Dev, who was the skipper of the Indian Cricket team that won the World cup, was present at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi. Milkha lashed out at the organizing committee, who did not even invite these legendary names of Indian sports, to such a big event last night.
"A couple of former athletes who have brought laurels to the country were not there and I got to know that they were not even invited. We have Kapil Dev, S Sriram, P T Usha but they were not provided their due", he further added on Monday.
Two days ago, Milkha had said that he was stunned to know that P T Usha was not given any invitation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in New Delhi.
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