Not sure cricket should be an Olympic sport: Gill

The minister said BCCI’s crammed domestic and international calendar leaves the players with hardly any rest. “There are so many tournaments that the boys are simply too tired. Even race horses should be rested,” he said.

BCCI’s decision not to send teams to the Asian Games did not go down well with the Olympic Council of Asia which called it a setback to cricket’s inclusion in truly international sports events. Gill,meanwhile,saw no logic in stretching the list of Olympic sports to include cricket.

“You see,in events likes Olympics and Asian Games,the structure includes athletics,gymnastics,wrestling and various disciplines. Now you can go on stretching them the reasons for which doesn’t seem to me justified or understandable,” he said.

Mary Kom,Geet criticise BCCI
Four-time world champion boxer M C Mary Kom criticised BCCI for not sending the Indiancricket teams for the Asian Games. “BCCI could have rescheduled the series (against New

Zealand) to some other time because Asian Games is much bigger an event,” Mary Kom said. “As an athlete,if you prefer other international events to Asian Games,then it obviously shows that you are running after money and not national pride. I’m a mother of two and when it comes to representing the country,I leave them behind and go abroad. Why cannot the cricketers do it? Athletes should take pride in representing the country,” she said.

Eight-time world billards champion Geet Sethi said the BCCI should think about the country before taking such decisions. “It is a wrong decision as it will deprive India of one gold medal,” Sethi said. “Those who are running the BCCI should not think commercially,but instead should take into consideration India’s pride,” he added.