India lobbying for 3 more events in Delhi Commonwealth Games

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) India is lobbying hard for the inclusion of archery, tennis and cue sports in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled in Delhi but everything will depend on the vote in the General Assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on March 12.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chairman of the 2010 Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi said, ''We are lobbying hard to get three more events included after CGF cleared 15 disciplines. The CGF Executive Committee meets in Melbourne on March 11 and the General Assembly on the next day. All the 71 members of CGF will be there to vote for or against the demand and we are optimistic about it.'' He also informed that India would appeal to CGF to allow it shift the Commonwealth Youth Games to Pune.

Mr Kalmadi, meanwhile, took a dig at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its alleged reluctance to allow the game a part of the 2010 Games.

''We were almost ready to agree to whatever they wanted but BCCI did not respond to our proposals and subsequently we did not insist on it either. We are promoting Olympic sports. Be it in 2010 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Asian Games or even Olympics, we would like to focus on Olympic sports only,'' he said.

A Congress MP, Mr Kalmadi said he was happy with the budgetary allocation for sports this year.

''I can't be happy unless it reaches the four-digit figure. And regarding the industries, I can vouch that they are ready to come forward if given 100 per cent tax exemption. We have had talks with Finance Minister P Chidambaram and I'm hopeful we would soon have a way out of it,'' he said.

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