& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Sri Lanka spruces up for SAF Games
COLOMBO. Dec 12: Sri Lanka is spending lavish amounts on sprucing up sports centres lo host
South Asia's most Important Games here later this month, turning the event into a mini Olympics for the world's poorest region, reports AFT.
Private sector firms and state Institutions have been scrambling to fork out large donations to sponsor the fifth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games and win advertising rights, or rather as some opposition politicians have charged, to jack up price.
The Games from December 22-31 will cost Colombo more than trillion dollars, an unprecedented sum for a single sports event In this strife-torn island republic.
"Naturally, we want it to be the best. It has to get top billing because it is the biggest (sportjng) event to be held here." said Prema Pinnawale, secretary general of the National Olympic Commiltee(NOC).
Ten different sports will bespread over seven venues, each of which have undergone a face lift to make certain the fifth SAF Games will not fall short in terms of grandeur.
* Officials said preparations were under way to decorate the streets with flags, bunting and wooden images depleting the sports and culture of Bangladesh Bhutan. India. The Maldives. Nepal. Pakistan and Sri I^nka.
The organisers believe the successful staging of the Games will pave the way for future international events to be held tn Sri Lanka, which seldom sees foreign athletes.
"Our success in organising the Games will bring free publicity to the facilities available Ixire. Now is the time for i;-. to put our act together." said one organising commit-i. < official.
Colombo's athletes, who lack overseas competition, may not sweep the medals, but they have already won a brand new indoor swimming pool and a new electronic rifle range.
The authorities have also taken their sportsmen and women more seriously, providing them with foreign coaches for nine of the 10 sports at the Games.
State radio and television, meanwhile, has launched a massive advertising blitz on local audiences, with lottery
firms announcing special Games to coincide with the sporting competition.
The central bank has issued two special coins in 100 and 500 rupees denominations to mark the event.
Quite by accident, the Games will immediately follow the once-aborted South Asian leaders' summit and some of the visiting heads of state are expected to participate al the opening ceremony.
Ncany 800 competitors and officials are expected for the event, while the aulliorities have planned to accommodate 80 foreign Journalists.
The Indian contingent will be the largest foreign squad with 205. Bangladesh 195. while the smallest will be from Bhutan which is sending eight table tennis players. The hosts will field 240 participants.
Pinnawalc expects Srl Lanka to bag the honours mainly in athletics, swimming
and tennis but was confident that the local contingent would go flat out to grab the sportlight In all ten disciplines.
"Performing before a home crowd will be a great advantage and encouragement to our sportsmen." Pinnawale said.
For the first time at the SAF Games, women will compete in volleyball, tennis and rifleshooting. Previously they entered athletics events, swimming and table tennis.
The other events will be football, basketball, weightlifting. and boxing.
India has traditionally dominated the SAF Games, first held in Kathmandu in 1984. Dhaka hosted the Games in 1985. Calcutta in 1987 and Islamabad in 1989.
At tlx? fourth SAF Games in Islamabad. Iridla won 61 golds followed Ijy Pakistan with 42 and this year's host Sri Lanka with six.