Sports: Hockey, Kabaddi scrapped from WMG

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Hyderabad, July 8: Hockey and Kabaddi have beeen scrapped while polo will be showcased in an exhibition match in the 4th World Military Games to be held here from October 14 to 21.

''Because of lack of participation from the member countries, hockey and kabaddi have been scrapped,'' Col Sanjay Khanna, media and publicity in-charge, World Military Games, told journalists on the occasion to mark the 100-day countdown of the Games.

He said an exhibition match of polo would be played on October 19 though the Organising Committee was yet to decide between whom the match would be played.

The 4th World Military Games, being held for the first time outside Europe, is being billed as the biggest multi-discipline sporting extravaganza ever staged in the country.

It is being held under the aegis of Brussels-based International Military Sports Council, which is known by its French acronym CISM (Counscil Internationale du Sports Militaire).

So far, more than 5,000 athletic and officials from 78 countries have confirmed participation.

Organisers are, however, expecting that the number of participating countries will touch 100 and the number of athletes and officials will cross 6000 by the time of the August 15 deadline.

CISM has 128 member countries. Pakistan has so far not confirmed its particiaption.

The athletes will now compete in 13 disciplines which are football, handball, volleyball, swimming, track and field, judo, boxing, parachuting, sailing and triathlon.

Sailing and triathlon will take place in Mumbai while the remaining 13 disciplines will be held in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister A K Antony will not flag off the car rally to mark the 100-day countdown of the Games today.

Instead, Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju will flag off the rally from Gachibowli stadium.

Mr Raju will also plant a tree outside the stadium to formally mark the beginningof 'Greening of India'' campaign, which has been one of the themes to popularise the Games. The rally will cover all the districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The WMG, whose motto is 'Friendship through sports to bring peace', was first held in 1995 in Rome to mark the 50 years of end of World War II. Zagreb (Croatia) played host to the second edition in 1999 while 2003 Games were held in Catania in Italy.

UNI