The focus of sport administrators and organisers should be more on checking the malaise of doping than holding expensive mega sporting events, Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Saturday.
Instead of limiting the passion to holding mega sport events only, efforts should also be made to check the menace of drugs, he told reporters here while replying to a question whether it was justified to lay the track for Formula 1 race in 2009 in Delhi. “We are working closely with the World Anti-Doping Association on checking doping.”
Aiyar said his ministry had not received any proposal about holding F-I race in Delhi. “So far we have not received any such proposal. We will look into it when we receive it.”
The Minister expressed the hope that infrastructure would be ready well in time for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in 2010. “I am not in the organising or executive committee of the Commonwealth Games, but can say that the infrastructure for the Games would be ready in time.”
Questioned about the demotion of hockey, the national game, and volleyball from the priority list, he said it was done based on established criteria.