Suresh Kalmadi slams BCCI for not sending cricket team to Asian Games

Pune, June 2 (ANI): Suresh Kalmadi, President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has hit out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not sending the Indian cricket team to this year's Asian Games in China.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Kalmadi said: "I feel that the decision that they (BCCI) will not attend the Asian Games is a problem, because there is no prize money there. Cricket is now become commercialised. They don't play without prize money."

He further noted that cricket should not be included as one of the Olympic events, as it has become a commercial game.

"Cricket should not be included in the Olympic sports, it is a different game, a commercial game. And Olympic sports are different. There is a different focus is those games. That is why cricket and Olympic sports should be kept apart," observed Kalmadi.

The sixteenth Asian Games also known as the XVI Asiad is to be held in Guangzhou in China from November 12 to 27 this year.

Guangzhou will be the second city in China to host the games after Beijing in 1990.

About forty-two events are scheduled for this edition of the Asian Games. (ANI)