Canada Uber Driver Tells Passenger He Would Have ‘Kidnapped Her If It Was Pakistan’
New Delhi, The South Asian Games (SAG), beginning tomorrow, have an added political relevance this time around. While Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Sarbananda Sonowal, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections, are using the Games to score political points, the Central Government is using it to strengthen its relationships with the SAARC countries.
The government’s decision to bear all expenses of the visiting Afghanistan contingent, including air travel and the stay for the entire duration of the Games, is a significant effort in that direction. The 214-member contingent will arrive in India in two separate batches. The first batch, comprising 184 athletes and officials, will be brought to Guwahati in a Spice Jet flight.
Besides, the Afghan athletes will be exempted from paying $30 per day for boarding and lodging expenses. The athletes from seven other participating nations, including Pakistan, will have to pay this amount to the Games’ organising committee. After the Games conclude, the Afghan contingent will be flown to Kabul in a chartered flight arranged by the Indian government.
The special treatment for the Afghanistan contingent is the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s desire to strengthen the cultural and political ties with Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan was unable to bear the expenses involved in sending the contingent to the Games, especially $30 per day per player. Their Olympics association is facing some financial problem,” said Onkar Kedia, Joint Secretary (Sports).
“When the Indian delegation visited Kabul to extend a formal invitation for the Games, their government and the Olympics association officials told us that they could send a contingent only if the Indian government bore the expenses. Our government took a sympathetic view and accepted their request.”
India had also accepted the request made by the Pakistan government to allow their athletes to fly directly to Guwahati from Islamabad in a chartered flight owing to security reasons. Pakistan did not want its athletes to enter India via Wagah border and then take flights to Guwahati from New Delhi. Later, Pakistan withdrew the proposal and decided to send its athletes in batches.
SAG updates
Pallikal pulls out of individual event
guwahati: India’s leading squash player Dipika Pallikal has withdrawn from the individual event citing a shoulder injury. World No. 17 Dipika said she felt a “sharp pain” in her shoulder while playing the quarterfinals in the Cleveland Classic held in Ohio on Sunday. “She was scheduled to take medical advice in this matter but decided to proceed to Guwahati and play the team event,” said the Indian squash federation.
India’s women footballers hope to defend title
India’s women’s football coach Sajid Yusuf expressed hope that his team would retain the title. “We are happy with our preparations. All eyes will be on us and the expectations will be high,” said Yusuf. India’s captain Bembem Devi, who is set to retire from professional football after the Games, said: “We’ve been working hard for the last two weeks and we’ll try to defend the title.”
