India gears up for fourth edition of 2007 MWG

Pune, June 9 (UNI) India is gearing up for the fourth edition of 2007 Military World Games (MWG) to be held in Hyderabad from October 14 to 21 next year.

It is for the first time that MWG will be held in Asia.

After show casing the Afro-Asian Games in October 2003 the international military sports council known as (CISM) the apex ody has no hesitation in awarding the games to be held in Hyderabad to be conducted by the Southern Command and the Andhra Pradesh government.

Southern Command Chief of Staff Lt Gen Ashok Kapur while briefing sports scribes here today, said the games at Hyderabad is expected to attarct all the 127 member countries of the CISM comprising 4,500 sportspersons and 1,500 officials from all over the world.

The MWG would come under the world focus as it would serve as the preparation of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Gen Kapur said.

''The games held a year before any Olympic games have proven the fact that twenty percent of the medals in the Olympics was hogged by the sportsperson representing various countries in the (MWG),'' he observed.

The eight day sports extravaganza will witness competitions in 15 disciplines of sports out of which three disciplines are totally military in nature, Gen Kapur explained.

Gen Kapur who is also the Director General of the Operations and Administerative Committee had visted the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March last to apprise himself in planning the logistics and administerative requirements for the smooth conduct of the MWG.

''We would want to make the MWG the best ever as it would also be the dress rehearsal for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth and the 2010 Commonwealth Games,'' he said.

Out of the 15 disciplines of sports two namely Sailing and Triathlon events will be held in Goa under the aegis of the Indian navy while the sky diving and para sailing competition will be conducted by the Indian AirForce in Hyderabad itself. Three games namely polo, kabaddi and hockey will be a demonstration games to be held on the occasion, he said.

The military pentathlon cross country will be of eight kilometers for men and four kilomters for women. The other 12 disciplines of sports will be competed by men and women. The boxing and wrestling are limited to men only, Gen Kapur said.

When asked the MWG would be dope free, Gen Kapur went on to explain, ''we are not taking any chances as a laboratory will be set in Delhi with temporary recognition from the Indian Olympic Committee and the Word Anti-Doping Agency. Otherwise the samples would be sent to Bangkok.'' Regarding the security aspect Gen Kapur said that adequate measure will be taken to have a fullproof security system laid out so as to avoid any untoward incidents.

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