India's cricket chiefs yesterday turned down a request from beleaguered Commonwealth Games organizers for a grant of one billion rupees (US$22 million).
The Commonwealth Games organizing committee rejected accusations that it paid more than $500,000 to a small London-based company for services including car hire, makeshift toilets and road barriers.
The TimesNow television channel claimed that the committee transferred nearly $585,000 to the AM Films company, which has also been receiving ongoing payments of nearly $32,500 a month.
"I am deeply pained by totally unfounded and baseless allegations by the channel," Suresh Kalmadi, the committee chairman, said yesterday. He added that he would sue it for defamation.
Games organizer Suresh Kalmadi earlier this month asked the cash-rich Indian cricket board (BCCI) for financial assistance as costs escalated for the Games to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14.
The BCCI's decision-making working committee, which met in Mumbai yesterday, decided to turn down Kalmadi's request, without giving any reason.
"The committee expressed its inability to agree to the request of the Commonwealth Games to be the lead partner by donating one billion rupees," a terse BCCI release said.
Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill told parliament on Thursday the government was spending $2.46 billion to conduct the Games, far above the estimate of $141 million when the bid was made in 2003.
Kalmadi, who heads the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), had criticized the BCCI for scheduling a high-profile home series against Australia at the same time as the Games.
Australia will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in India between October 1 and 24, although no matches have been scheduled in New Delhi.
Cricket attracts a passionate following in India and organizers of the field hockey World Cup in New Delhi in March advanced the tournament by a week so that it would not clash with the popular Indian Premier League.
Kalmadi had also questioned BCCI's decision not to send the men's and women's cricket teams to the Asian Games in China in November, saying "they think only of money".
|
