26 August,2010 10:55 AM IST | | Agencies
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has said the star pullouts will not affect the 2010 Games, adding that there will plenty of action in the upcoming mega event.
"There will be plenty of world champions in action and those who have withdrawn have done so because of injury. A clear picture of the list of athletes would emerge only on September 3 when the countries would have to submit the entries by name," said Kalmadi.
"Usain Bolt has not gone in the last four five events because he was not well. Whether anybody will come or not will be known only on September 3 when the countries will give their entries by name. Entry by general category has been going on," he added, when asked whether the pullouts of crowd-pullers were a concern for the Organising Committee.
Kalmadi further said the preparations had gone off peacefully in the last few years.
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Earlier on Tuesday, Kalmadi made it clear that he would not quit despite the charges of corruption levelled against him with regard to the 2010 Games, asserting that he was still the boss.
Kalmadi said he has taken up the challenge of delivering a very good 2010 Games, and that there was no question of him resigning as he had done nothing wrong.
"Yes. Organising the Games is my responsibility. I am continuing with it," said Kalmadi, when asked whether he was still the boss after the Government set up an empowered committee of bureaucrats to look into the functioning of the 2010 Games.
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"Group of Ministers was there. The committee of secretaries under Cabinet Secretary was always there. The Prime Minister had a meeting and he has asked all these committees to get more active and give more support. I am getting more support from government and I am the OC chairman," he added.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, which kicks off on October 3 is India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.
India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.
