Mumbai: Indian wrestlers preparing for next year's Commonwealth Games are asking for more nutritious food at the national camp in Pune, local media reported on Tuesday.
Some of the wrestlers have complained that although the government has earmarked huge amounts of money for the New Delhi games, enough was not trickling down for the preparation of athletes.
"We are not getting (a) proper diet. How can you expect us to deliver good results," an unnamed wrestler told the Hindustan Times newspaper. "They are giving us double-toned milk and vegetables prepared in refined oil. We are not getting anything special to supplement our diet," he added.
The government has earmarked 7 billion rupees for the preparation of elite athletes for the games, seen as a big advertisement for India's rapid economic growth. Indian wrestlers have performed consistently in international meets and their hopes have been boosted after Sushil Kumar won a bronze at last year's Beijing Olympics.
"It's a serious problem. It will disturb their preparation for the games," Wrestling Federation of India secretary-general Kartar Singh told the newspaper. "We are going to speak to the concerned authorities tomorrow and if they fail to provide (a) proper diet, we will try to shift the camp out of Pune," he added.
Many of the wrestlers come from traditional wrestling academies and enjoy a rich diet of buffalo milk and ghee (clarified butter) as a cooking medium.
Singh told the newspaper the training camp was moved to Pune from a regular venue in Punjab as the officials at the previous facility felt the wrestlers were undisciplined.
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