The Hindu Business Line : Curtains on 10-day sports extravaganza

The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, showing the victory sign to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, at the closing ceremony of the 32 National Games at the GMC Balayogi stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD, Dec. 22

THE Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, while emphasising on the need to support and encourage sports in the country, said that the country was now ready to pitch for the Olympic Games.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 32 National Games being held at the GMC Balayogi Stadium, Gachibowli, Mr Vajapayee said, from what has been achieved in Andhra Pradesh, and from what he has seen here today, he was confident that, "We as a country are now ready to take up the challenge to bid for the Olympic Games.

Though these National Games were meant to be a competitive contest between sportspersons in the country, these games have been elevated to the status of international standards.

"Based on this development, I am confident that we have the capability to raise up the level to international standards and bring greater laurels during the next Olympics.

The Indian contingent has performed extremely well in the Asian and the Commonwealth Games. "I am confident that the performance of Indian sportsmen has been slowly but steadily going up and this is spreading across the country. We have succeeded and I am confident that the 100-crore populace of the country can look forward to exciting days ahead with their sports men bringing greater laurels to the country. Sports has the potential to unite the world cutting across cast creed and religion," he said.

The Centre will take all steps necessary to promote sport in our march towards Olympic Games, he said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, Mr Naidu, said that the Centre must extend certain sops to promote sports. Of particular importance is the cut on excise and duty structure for import of sports equipment and extending tax concessions to donations from corporate sector to the cause of promotion of sports. The ten day national games meet, held simultaneously at Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, concluded with Andhra Pradesh recording the highest number of medals, with its overall medal tally shooting up to 232, which was followed by Punjab, Services and Manipur.

Though there was talk of imports from other States boosting the peformance of the State, the Indian Olympic Association President, Mr Suresh Kalmadi called upon other States to emulate the Andhra Pradesh's example by offering more incentives to sports.

The curtains were down on the 10 days sports extravaganza, with dazzling performance of film stars amidst riot of colours, laser shows and psychidellic lights.

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