Kalmadi snubbed again

Once again Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has been ignored from a felicitation ceremony.

This time the occasion was at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday where President Pratibha Patil felicitated the Asian Games gold medal winners.

The president met the athletes dressed in team Indian blazers and exchanged pleasantries. They also posed with the president for a commemorative photograph.

Sports minister MS Gill and Sports Authority of India (SAI) director general Sayan Chatterjee were also present at the function.

All the gold medal winners except cueist Pankaj Advani, boxer Vijender Singh and tennis players Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh were present at the function.

This is the fourth time that Kalmadi has been snubbed and distanced in this manner.

Soon after the Commonwealth Games were over, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and after that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had invited the sportspersons who did the nation proud, but left out Kalmadi.

Later it was cabinet secretary's dinner where except Kalmadi all others involved with the Commonwealth Games were present.