IOA slams Sports Ministry for lack of access to CWG venues

Indian Olympic Association's Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra accused the Sports Ministry of denying access to Commonwealth Games venues to athletes and sports federations, saying facilities such as the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium are gradually becoming junkyards.

Indian Olympic Association's Acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra accused the Sports Ministry of denying access to Commonwealth Games venues to athletes and sports federations, saying facilities such as the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium are gradually becoming junkyards.

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Malhotra said around Rs 30,000 crore were spent on building the infrastructure for the Games.

"About Rs 1000 crore spent on Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium renovation/reconstruction and it has not been used since 15th October 2010. All the left over material is dumped there, turning it to be most expensive Junkyard in the world," Malhotra said in a statement.

"The Rs 70-crore Balloon Aerostat which was opposed by me, forms the part of the Junk now lying there. The other expensive stadiums are lying idle and are locked and keys are with government. They are becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes and may turn out to be major health hazards," he added.

Malhotra alleged that the Shivaji stadium is still not ready and "has already overshot the budget and is likely to cross Rs 200-crore mark."

"Sportspersons are not being allowed to train or practices in these stadiums. Even athletes going to World championship, were denied permission to train in JN stadium," he said.