09 March,2016 07:20 AM IST | | PTI
The Indian Olympic Association has requested the Organizing Committee for the 2016 Rio Olympics to make arrangements for addition of Indian cuisine in the menu at the Olympic Village during the Games
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association has requested the Organizing Committee for the 2016 Rio Olympics to make arrangements for addition of Indian cuisine in the menu at the Olympic Village during the Games.
In the past it has been noticed that Indian contingent have preferred Indian food. The athletes in particular prefer Indian cuisine to get acclimatised faster before their competitions.
The IOA has specially requested for the inclusion of dishes (Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian) with the Indian palette in mind.
In a letter to the Organizing Committee, N Ramachandran, President of the IOA has said, "We would therefore request the Organizing Committee for Rio Olympics to include Indian food items, especially vegetarian dishes, in the menu of the Games Village. The Government of India will extend full co-operation to the Organizing Committee in making Indian Chefs available for preparing Indian food in the Games Village."
The communication has also been shared with the Indian Embassy in Brazil and Sunil Lal, the Indian Ambassador to Brazil. Around 70 Indian athletes are already assured of Olympic berths and some more are expected to qualify in the coming months as the process continues till July, 2016. The total size of the contingent is expected to be around 125-140.
The Games will begin on August 5 and continue till August 21. India won the highest number of medals in its sporting history with six medals at the London Games, doubling the number they achieved in 2008 at Beijing.
