NEW DELHI: Turf 2009, the two-day global sports summit ended on Wednesday with the visiting Dutch delegation, which included renowned hockey coach Marc Lammers, offering coaches to revive Olympic sports in India.
“The Dutch team has offered to provide coaches and they are willing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with FICCI and the Government of India. We, at FICCI, would take up the issue with the Government,” chairman of the FICCI Sports Committee Atul Singh, also the President and CEO of Coca Cola India, said.
In his interaction with the media, Lammers, who guided the Dutch women’s team to the gold medal glory in the Beijing Olympics, stressed on the need for a concerted effort to lift the standard of any game.
“Take hockey for instance. You need good exposure and facility. Besides, you have to practice against formidable teams like Australia, Netherlands or Germany. Playing only against Chinese Taipei is not going to do you any good,” he said.
The sports summit, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries, also felicitated swimmers Virdhawal Khade and Prashant Karmakar, Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh and former athlete Milkha Singh.
FICCI secretary general Amit Mitra said the sports meet would become an annual event and the awards would also be institutionalised with a jury nominating the sportspersons.