New Delhi: Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar won’t be participating in the Olympic torch relay in New Delhi on Thursday—the third prominent personality to bow out of the event.
Sources told CNN-IBN Tendulkar has a groin injury and can’t run in the relay. Tendulkar informed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) about his decision this morning.
IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi though told CNN-IBN he hadn’t heard from Tendulkar. "The IOA has not received any communication from Tendulkar withdrawing from the torch relay run. He told me a few days back that he will be arriving in Delhi on April 17 morning. I have not received any communication to the contrary—we have to wait and see," Kalmadi said.
National football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, a Buddhist, was the first to refuse to carry the Olympic flame to show his solidarity with the Tibetans.
Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi refused to carry the torch, but she pulled out because of “excessive security”.
Tendulkar had on April 7 said carrying the torch would be a “great honour” for him and he was looking forward to the event.
The Olympic torch arrived in Pakistan early on Wednesday on the first leg of its relay in Asia amid security worries that led to a change of venue in Islamabad.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani are expected to attend a formal ceremony later in the day for the torch relay at the stadium before it is taken to Mumbai.
China is a close ally of Pakistan and the major source of arms. India has trimmed the route of its torch relay on Thursday fearing Tibetan protesters might try to disrupt the procession.
The torch will reach Delhi later this evening before the relay on Thursday. Security tighter than witnessed on Republic Day has been arranged for the rally.
NDA leaders George Fernandez, Yashwant Sinha, Jaya Jaitley and activist-writer Arundhati Roy are expected to join Tibetans in a parallel torch relay tomorrow.
Samata party leader Jaya Jaitley said she is appalled at the government's approach towards Tibetans. "This is the best way to show the world that the people of India are with the Tibetans and it's only the police of the government which is with the Olympic torch," she said.
"India as a democratic country must give Tibetans the freedom of expression," she said.
The government has trimmed the route for the torch relay, fearing Tibetan protesters might try to disrupt the procession. The final route is still to be announced, but the torch will travel less than a third of the original 9-km distance.
Sports Minister M S Gill told CNN-IBN the security arrangement for the relay is complete. ” I’ll be there at the torch relay as a Sports Minister. The Home Ministry is making the security arrangements at the torch relay," he said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Comments
0 comment