BANGALORE, June 1: The threat of boycott of the National Games by the Karnataka Amateur Athletics Association fizzled out with demands like rectifying the faults in the track and delaying the payment to Matin Surfacing Inc. being conceded by Sports Minister Ajay Kumar Sarnaik.The water jump pit which should be at a distance of 10.30 metres from the inner lane to the inner edge of the pit is at present at 11.66 metres, making the athletes run about 20 metres extra. Besides, there is no water outlet or inlet at the pit. The problem of the extra distance would be overcome for this meet by adjusting the starting lane. It is indeed surprising that despite a detailed plans, the defects had not come to the notice.

Yet another irritant is that the sides of the long jump pits have been filled up using `khaba' stones which will pose problems to athletes walking back after a jump with their spikes on. Karnataka Amateur Athletics Association Secretary Satyanarayan said that the defects were manageable ``but the claim that the stadium is of international specifications is all humbug. Elsewhere, the warm up track is 400 metres and not 200 metres as has been planned here. The sad part is that a stadium which was touted to incorporate the latest features should be so primitive.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.