Sports minister denies rift with IOA chief

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today denied media reports that he is having difference with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi on the organisation of 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held here.

Mr Aiyar who heads the all-powerful Apex Committee for supervision of various activities related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, asserted that all the minor differences which he may have had with the Games' Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi have been sorted out.

''I have no differences with Kalmadi,'' the minister told mediapersons on the sidelines of a meeting of Empowered Sub-committee on Panchayati Raj here.

He, however, was candid enough to admit that there were minor differences between them at one point of time but ''as of now there are no differences''.

The Apex Committee, headed by Mr Aiyar, has been given sweeping powers to look into the prepartions related to the mega sports event.

UNI HSB PDS ND2020