Commonwealth Games 2010 will face no obstacles: Aiyer

Pune, Jun 16 (UNI) Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mani Shankar Aiyer today exuded confidence that the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be hosted without any hinderance.

The financial aspect of the Games has already been taken care of, the Minister said while speaking to newspersons here today.

But the Minister declined to cmment on the motorsport spectacle F1 GP being inroduced in India through the aegis of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Let the IOA proposal come to us, then the government will definitly consider it, he said while adding it would be a matter of pride for the country to have the F1 get started.

To a query, the Minister said he would like to see sports completely free of the drugs menace. India was badly projected in the last Commonwealth Games held at Melbourne and recently at the National Games held at Guwahati wherein eight sportspersons were found using performance enhancing steroids, he said.

Mr Aiyer said since India is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), it is trying to seek accreditation from the apex body to establish an anti-doping laboratory in India before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

To another question on demotion of some of the disciplines from the elite panel of sports, Mr Aiyer said performance-based criteria for advancing funds has been very objective and transparent.

The criteria has been the guideline, followed by his predecessors before his taking over as the Sports Minister. The criteria is very clear and transparent that the medal-winning Olympic discipline should get preferance, he added.

UNI