Our relay team cheated, now it's going to Sydney

Our relay team cheated, now it's going to Sydney
R RAMACHANDRAN

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 13: Just 48 hours before Sydney 2000, India has shown once again how seriously it takes the Olympics. The men's 4x100m relay squad, which was disqualified for ``cheating'' in the trials last week, is most likely to board the flight for Sydney tomorrow.

Chief National Coach Bahadur Singh told The Indian Express that it was unfair to leave behind the squad, particularly after it had achieved the qualifying norm set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). The IAAF's `B' standard norm was 40 seconds while the quartet had clocked 39.70 at the Jakarta Asian Track and Field Meet three weeks ago.

The Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) -- while clearing all those who had met the qualifying standards -- refused permission to the relay team on the plea that the federation was looking for the squad to achieve something close to 39 seconds.

The quartet was given a chance at the Salwan International Meet a few days ago where the team, in their eagerness to make it to Sydney, ``cheated'' by changing lanes and was disqualified.

The coach argued the team deserved to go. He said that two of the runners strayed into the lanes other than the one allotted but it would not have made much of a material difference. The team had, indeed, improved upon its fourth-place ATF timing of 39.70s to clock 39.28s. The Olympic and world records for the event stand at 37.40 set by the US in Barcelona.

The coach said that if the relay team could clock close to 39 seconds without the services of national record-holder Anil Kumar, it could do better with the sprinter, who has now fully recovered and training hard.

When contacted, AAFI secretary Lalit Kumar Bhanot was non-commital. However, he said that the four -- C.Tirugnanadurai, Rajeev Balakrishanan, Anand Menezes and Ajay Raj Singh -- had admitted to their folly and asked to be pardoned.