“Now there is no misunderstanding between the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Federations (NSFs) like there was previously. The media though wants to find something or the other. What have you [the media] found so far is my question,” asks IOA president N. Ramachandran in an interview with The Hindu . That the jury is still out on that issue is a different matter.
The 69-year-old said that the build-up to the Rio Olympics has been blemishless. The trinity of the IOA, the NSFs and the Sports Ministry, according to him, has done a brilliant job.
“I don’t think there has ever been such smooth sailing. The kits have come on time, the athletes are not complaining, the Ministry gave a fantastic send-off. So did the IOA. We are all working towards one common goal, that is to benefit the athletes,” he said.
Ramachandran said neither the Government nor the IOA should receive praise for a job well done, insisting that it was a joint effort. “I don’t want the IOA to take all the credit nor should the Government take all the credit. At the end of the day, the athletes should be given the credit,” he said.
The IOA chief said that with more than 100 athletes taking part in Rio, India was sure to increase its medals tally. “We hope to reach the double-digit figure this time. My assessment is based on the fact that in the 2012 London Olympics, with 80 (athletes) we got six medals,” he said.
Nobody, said Ramachandran, could point fingers at the Government for not providing support. “No Federation can find fault with the Government for not having got enough support. Whatever every National Sports Federation had wanted, in terms of exposure, participation in events abroad, the Ministry has sanctioned everything. It is very difficult to complain.”
Ramachandran defended the appointment of actor Salman Khan as the goodwill ambassador. “We all watch his films. Don’t we? Moreover, he is sports-inclined. What is wrong in thinking out of the box? Why should it always be a sportsperson,” he asked. He reiterated that at the end of the day, whatever be the perceived differences between the IOA, the Federations and the Sports Ministry, the focus should be on the athletes.
