The unseemly row over "import" of sports persons to represent Andhra Pradesh in the ongoing 32nd National Games took a new turn on Saturday with the Indian Olympic Association coming to the rescue of the host state.
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi not only gave a clean chit to Andhra Pradesh on the issue of fielding sports persons from other states to represent it in the National Games but also praised the state for encouraging athletes with better incentives.
However, the IOA announced the constitution of a panel to frame participation rules for the next National Games.
Kalmadi also maintained that "no official complaint has been received by the arbitration committee" on the imports row involving AP and other states.
Even as the hosts topped the medals tally as the National Games drew to a close, the IOA president advised other states to emulate Andhra Pradesh in encouraging young sports persons. He maintained that he had seen reports in the media about AP relying on sports persons of other states.
"Barring few hiccups and protests, the 32nd National Games here are the best ever," he asserted at a media conference. He claimed that by offering greater prize-money to medal winners, AP has been encouraging young sportspersons.
"Other states should replicate this and bring professionalism into sports," he pleaded and pointed out that many states did not even pay the prize-money to sports persons who participated in the last National Games in Punjab.
He was asked a volley of questions on the 'import' controversy that marred the reputation of the hosts and resulted in disqualification of three of the seven 'imported' wrestlers representing Andhra Pradesh. Karnataka had protested against the inclusion of four hockey players from other states in the AP team while a Delhi athlete had publicly slapped a woman athlete for representing AP.
Kalmadi announced that a five-member panel would be set up to frame new rules for participation in the future National Games. The committee would comprise Murugan, secretary, Volleyball Federation of India; Aslam Khan, Ajay Sarnaik, both IOA members; Muthaiah, chairman, technical committee, and Tandon, director, technical, IOA.
"The committee will go into the entire gamut of participation rules and will submit its report in three months," he added.
The IOA president said 465 samples were taken for dope tests during the ongoing Games, out of which 50 were tested but none of them proved positive.
"Medals can be withdrawn if the samples are found positive even after the Games," he warned.
He also announced that the IOA would have its own dope testing laboratory at the next National Games.
The IOA, which held its general body meeting, decided to hold the National Youth Games in Karnataka in December 2003-January 2004.
In other decisions, it gave affiliation to the Sikkim Olympic Association and also readmitted the Badminton Association of India, which had left the IOA for some reasons.
Andhra Pradesh Olympic Association president H J Dora asserted that what AP had done (by importing sports persons) was acceptable within sports protocol. "Young sports persons deserve to be encouraged with higher prize money," he observed.
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