Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill on Saturday said that big international events before the Commonwealth Games only added to the burden of the agencies concerned with the organisation of the Games.
Speaking at a function organised at the National Stadium here to mark the National Sports Day, on the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, Mr. Gill said he did not have any objection to minor test events.
“We are hosting the hockey World Cup, the shooting World Cup, a four-nation hockey tournament early next year before the Commonwealth Games. But these events could have been avoided till the Games. I am not against test events but the Commonwealth Games is a huge burden and bringing more world events into the country is not sensible,” Mr. Gill said.
Additional pressure
Mr. Gill said test events are normally conducted to test infrastructure and other facilities and need not be major international events.
“It has put additional pressure on all the authorities associated with the Games because now we have to complete some of the stadia by December-January,” he added.
The hockey World Cup is scheduled to be held from February 28 to March 13, while the test events for shooting — the Commonwealth championship followed by the World Cup in rifle and pistol competitions — will start on February 17.
On Hockey India, Mr. Gill said the Sports Ministry would appoint an observer for the federation elections.
