NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has been warned by Pakistan and some other countries that they would not support India in their bid for the Winter Asian Games if the venue is in any part of Kashmir.
This strong reaction has surfaced following the IOA executive committee’s decision that, if the Games were allotted to India, it would hold skiing in Guimarg and ice-skating in Srinagar,
In view of this latest development, India will have to do some rethinking in determining the venue. “We can’t afford to hurt the feelings of Pakistan, particularly when there is a concerted effort to reduce tension in the subcontinent” said a senior sports official here.
If Kashmir is out of the reckoning, the only other place suitable to stage the Games would be Himachal Pradesh which staged the National Winter Games superbly. No other games in the country haves far been held with such pomp, show and efficiency as national winter games in Manali.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 14, 1989
