Despite Athens flop Kalmadi has high hopes

After the unimpressive showing at the Athens Games, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi is banking on a successful 2010 Commonwealth Games, which New Delhi will host, to strengthen the country's bid to host the Olympics in 2016.

"The Commonwealth Games is our last chance after the Olympics to show that we have come forward as a nation in the field of sports," Kalmadi said at a panel discussion on 'Nation

Building Through Sports', organised by the FICCI ladies organisations, to felicitate Olympic silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Tuesday.

"I am confident that we can get the Olympic Games 2016, but the issue is that are we going to win medals? We should be among the top 5-6 nations by 2016.

"But if we do not take immediate steps, the gap between India and other countries will only widen," Kalmadi said as he sought the private sector's support in hiring psychologists and the best foreign coaches for Indian players.

Kalmadi said the sports federations have to be blamed for India's Olympic debacle though they are not the only ones responsible.

"The Indian government is also responsible. We were allocated a budget of only Rs 200 crore."

Rathore, who was among the panelists, suggested that separate sums of money should be allocated for the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

"We need to prepare separately in terms of 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. It's late now to find talents for the 2008 Games. For 2012, the players should be screened and given all resources. Let's not win a medal in 2008 but bring as many as 10 medals in 2012," he said.

Rathore suggested that talent should be screened at the district level and groomed for the 2012 and 2016 Games. In addition, sports should be introduced as a subject in schools, he said.

"We lose 100 gold medals, as students in high school have to give up sports because of their academic commitments and lack of support for continuing in sports," he said.

He also said children have a lot of energy and that should be used in a positive way.

"Kids should be given small grounds where they can play six-a-side football rather than constructing big stadiums," he said.

Shooter and Member of Parliament Naveen Jindal and Asian Games silver medal-winning swimmer Khazan Singh also addressed the gathering.