'No money in Asiad, so BCCI is not interested'

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Thursday for not sending teams to the Asian Games in China, saying it is not interested because the multi-sport event offers no money.

"It has become commercial… cricket has become very commercial. (in the Olympics and Asian Games) There are only medals, no money. So I don't think anybody from the cricket world will be interested in taking part," Kalmadi told reporters.

He was reacting to the BCCI's decision to keep its men's and women's teams away from the Asiad, to be held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou between November 12 and 27.

The BCCI cited international commitments to stay away from the Games, where cricket is making its debut in the Twenty20 format.

Kalmadi said he was never keen on cricket being part of Olympic sports because "then Olympic sports get hurt".

"They (BCCI) had done it in the Malaysia Commonwealth Games also. They sent a second string team there. So I was never keen and I did not put cricket into the Commonwealth Games. I knew they won't make it, they will back out at the last minute.

"They said they would come to the Asian Games, but they backed out. I knew this," he said.

Kalmadi was referring to the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, where India sent a second-string squad, while most of the frontline cricketers played against Pakistan in Canada.