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Rediff.com  » Sports » India should win about 80 medals at Asiad: Randhir Singh

India should win about 80 medals at Asiad: Randhir Singh

By Onkar SIngh
November 03, 2010 17:49 IST
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Randhir Singh, secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association, claimed that India will perform better at upcoming 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China, later this month.

"In the last Asian Games we finished eighth, with 53 medals. Our sportsmen and female athletes excelled in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games and finished at No 2, ahead of England.

"Based on their present form I guess we should win about 80 medals in Guangzhou and finish at least at No 4. We may do even better," Randhir told rediff.com in an informal chat in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Asked how Gagan Narang will carry the Indian flag at the Games' opening ceremony, considering the fact he has an event the next day, Randhir said that would be the ace shooter's decision.

"If he wants to concentrate on shooting he can do so; but carrying the national flag is an honour and I am sure he would not want to miss it," he added.

India is sending a contingent of more than 800 athletes and officials to participate in the Games.

Randhir Singh refused to say whether the Indian Olympic Association will go to the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi high court's refusal to grant a stay on the implementation of the government's guidelines stipulating that the officials of sports associations holding positions for 12 years or are over the age of 70 should quit and make way for younger people.

"The case is likely to be heard in February. Till then we can wait and watch," the former ace shooter said.

The Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the Centre to implement its national sports policy, which fixes 70 years as the upper age limit and 12 years as the maximum tenure for the chiefs of various sports federations.

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Onkar SIngh New Delhi

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