New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) India’s four-time World boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom Wednesday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not sending a team to the Asian Games in November, where cricket will make its debut.
Mary Kom said the BCCI is only interested in minting money rather than representing the country at events like the Asian Games.
‘It is better to represent India at the Asian Games. Every athlete wants to represent his country at the Games. The BCCI is only interested in earning money through competitions like the IPL. I am not earning that much money, but I am participating for my country and getting lots of medals,’ Mary Kom said.
The BCCI’s decision not to send a team to the Asiad has drawn criticism from Olympic Council of Asian (OCA) secretary general Randhir Singh as well as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi.
The Asian Games are scheduled Nov 12-27 in Guangzhou, China.
The BCCI had Tuesday announced it would not send a team for the multi-disciplinary event due to a cramped schedule. India will be hosting New Zealand for three Tests and five ODIs around the same time as the Asiad.
In fact, cricket was included in the Asian Games by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) only after the four Asian Test nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — promised to send their best teams to the Games.
