The International Olympic Council has accredited the New Delhi based anti-drug test laboratory for conducting dope tests.
This was revealed by Union Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary L M Mehta while presiding over the closing ceremony of the National Adventure Festival in New Delhi.
Mehta announced financial assistance for sportspersons to improve their performance at the international level from the National Sports Development Fund Scheme.Donations to the fund, he said, would be exempted from income tax. He said international shooter Abhinav Bindra had been given financial assistance of Rs 2 million while Anil Kumar was given Rs 1 million out of this fund.
The Union sports ministry, he said, had almost finalised the case of giving financial assistance to another international player Bobby Aloysius.
Mehta said the Afro-Asian Games were likely to be held at Hyderabad in October this year. These games would be organised in 20 disciplines. A decision to this effect was under consideration of the Union Sports Ministry because of availability of necessary infrastructure and succes of the National Games in Hyderbadad.
He said the ministry had given its formal sanction to the proposal of the Indian Olympic Association to hold 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. IOA President Suresh Kalmadi and General Secretary Randhir Singh were already at Cape Town, South Africa to attend the IOC meeting in this connection.
