HYDERABAD: SEPTEMBER 3: A ‘sports tower’ adjacent to the GMC Balayogi stadium in Gachibowli was renovated recently to accommodate the members of participating teams at the 65th All India Police Athletics Meet which begins on September 3. But even as the event has started off today it has been learned that there are still three teams who haven’t got a house to stay. Paramjit Singh, manager of the CRPF contingent said, “We are staying at our (CRPF) camp in the city since we could not find a place at the sports tower”. Traveling from the camp located 25 km away from the stadium it has made things tough for these participants. Paramjit Singh who broke Milkha Singh’s 38-year-old record in 1998 says, “Few of our boys from the 100 m event are staying in a lodge near the stadium while I stay at the camp, some 25 km away”. But the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) who is organising the meet said, “They themselves chose to stay at their camp, and this is not our decision,” one of the members of the organising team said. They have been here for almost a month and training at their own camp. Meanwhile, one of the participating CRPF athletes added to his team manager’s statement saying the team could not be harboured at the newly renovated facility and therefore he has been training at the camp itself. Raghupathi Reddy, a 20-km walk participant said, “From what I have heard, we were not given shelter there, so we had to train at the camp”. The other two teams not housing at the 15-storeyed building are from BSF and RPF. Meanwhile, around 700 athletes from 25 teams are currently residing there, claimed the organizers. ]]>
