Updated on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 09:20
Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: India’s champion discus thrower Krishna Poonia, who became the first athlete from the country to capture a Commonwealth Games gold medal in track and field since Milkha Singh’s feat in 1958, at the recently concluded mega sporting event, has another challenge on her hands.
If reports in certain media sections are to be believed, world champion Dani Samules has challenged Poonia to a USD 20,000 winner takes all match. Samules was reportedly miffed with Poonia for making comments about poor form being the reason for her withdrawal from the Delhi CWG.
Speaking to a leading news daily about the challenge thrown at her, Poonia said, “I am not kicked about the $20,000 prize money. I am fully focussed on winning the gold at the Asian Games. However, I am ready for any challenge Dani throws at me. If she wants to contest before the Asian Games, she will have to come to India. I don’t want to travel abroad as it would affect my schedule. If the match-up is after the Asian Games, I am ready to travel anywhere to compete against her.”
A Sydney based newspaper on Monday quoted Samuels’ manager Hayden Knowles as saying, “It could be enormous. It could be like a boxing match. A sponsor has offered $20,000 winner-takes-all, making it the biggest cash prize for a discus event in the world. Sydney’s Olympic Park Centre can host the event.”
However, Poonia’s husband and coach Virendra denied having been contacted for any such challenge.
"We have not been contacted as yet, I am just hearing from journalists. But we are are ready if such a contest is happening," Virendra told an Indian newspaper.
"Krishna had beaten Samuels at a competition at Salinas at California in United States in 2008. So, we are ready for such a contest," he added.
While Poonia has a personal best throw of 63.69 meters, Samules is marginally ahead with a best of 65.84. Both these throws were recorded earlier in the year.
Obviously the breed which hypes and profits at World Wrestling Federation are getting into the athletic arena also. Money would be there for everyone to make, so who would complain? Eventually, sports would mean nothing other than entertainment and therefore eminently 'fixable'. Sell your self, brothers and sisters, sell your self. Values in the dustbin. The eagerness with which the Indian champion is ready to take up the challenge proves that in the end, champions or not, we are all purchasable commodities.
Hello venu, i do understand what you insist. but at the same time we are not underdogs. what ever challenge is and what ever form it is.. v will face n v will WIN!!!Jai Ho INDIA!
Dear Shankar, This sort of individual challenges are relatively a new thing in athletics. Eventually the prize money would become the attraction. From there it would be a short step to 'fix' the whole thing so that vested interests can hype the event and make more money out of it. That is, bookies would take birth. Don't you see the direction an innocent sounding "challenge" would eventually take? Then the crassness of entertainment would replace the noble qualities that sports can generate.
http://www.zeenews.com/news662219.html
Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: India’s champion discus thrower Krishna Poonia, who became the first athlete from the country to capture a Commonwealth Games gold medal in track and field since Milkha Singh’s feat in 1958, at the recently concluded mega sporting event, has another challenge on her hands.
If reports in certain media sections are to be believed, world champion Dani Samules has challenged Poonia to a USD 20,000 winner takes all match. Samules was reportedly miffed with Poonia for making comments about poor form being the reason for her withdrawal from the Delhi CWG.
Speaking to a leading news daily about the challenge thrown at her, Poonia said, “I am not kicked about the $20,000 prize money. I am fully focussed on winning the gold at the Asian Games. However, I am ready for any challenge Dani throws at me. If she wants to contest before the Asian Games, she will have to come to India. I don’t want to travel abroad as it would affect my schedule. If the match-up is after the Asian Games, I am ready to travel anywhere to compete against her.”
A Sydney based newspaper on Monday quoted Samuels’ manager Hayden Knowles as saying, “It could be enormous. It could be like a boxing match. A sponsor has offered $20,000 winner-takes-all, making it the biggest cash prize for a discus event in the world. Sydney’s Olympic Park Centre can host the event.”
However, Poonia’s husband and coach Virendra denied having been contacted for any such challenge.
"We have not been contacted as yet, I am just hearing from journalists. But we are are ready if such a contest is happening," Virendra told an Indian newspaper.
"Krishna had beaten Samuels at a competition at Salinas at California in United States in 2008. So, we are ready for such a contest," he added.
While Poonia has a personal best throw of 63.69 meters, Samules is marginally ahead with a best of 65.84. Both these throws were recorded earlier in the year.
Obviously the breed which hypes and profits at World Wrestling Federation are getting into the athletic arena also. Money would be there for everyone to make, so who would complain? Eventually, sports would mean nothing other than entertainment and therefore eminently 'fixable'. Sell your self, brothers and sisters, sell your self. Values in the dustbin. The eagerness with which the Indian champion is ready to take up the challenge proves that in the end, champions or not, we are all purchasable commodities.
Hello venu, i do understand what you insist. but at the same time we are not underdogs. what ever challenge is and what ever form it is.. v will face n v will WIN!!!Jai Ho INDIA!
Dear Shankar, This sort of individual challenges are relatively a new thing in athletics. Eventually the prize money would become the attraction. From there it would be a short step to 'fix' the whole thing so that vested interests can hype the event and make more money out of it. That is, bookies would take birth. Don't you see the direction an innocent sounding "challenge" would eventually take? Then the crassness of entertainment would replace the noble qualities that sports can generate.
http://www.zeenews.com/news662219.html
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