5,000 athletes from 100 armies to take part in Military Games

Jun 11, 2007, 13:49 GMT

Hyderabad, June 11 (IANS) Around 5,000 athletes from armies of over 100 countries are likely to compete in the fourth Military World Games being held here from Oct 14 to 21.

This is the first time that India is hosting the Military Games, the second biggest sporting event in the world after Olympics.

Lt. Gen Aditya Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command, told a news conference Monday that 73 countries, 3,181 athletes and 1,552 delegates and officials have so far confirmed their participation in the event. The motto of the sporting event is 'friendship through sport'.

He said the number of participating athletes is likely to reach 5,000 while the number of countries could cross 100.

The Military Games will have 16 events - military pentathlon, shooting, military firing, parachuting, football, hand ball, volley ball, track and field, swimming, sailing, triathlon, judo, boxing, wrestling, hockey and kabbadi. Polo would be conducted as the exhibition game declaring the beginning of the mega event.

Singh said except for three all other events form part of major sports.

'Military pentathlon comprising five exercises, including running, firing, swimming and throwing grenades, military firing and parachuting are special events for the military,' he said.

The world Judo champion Sophie Mondiere, S. Valios (parachuting), S. Bibard (shooting 300 m), European champions Stamislavs Olijars (110 m hurdles), Henri Hakkinen (shooting), Christina Bengstssan (shooting) and Olympics medal winners in different events will be among star athletes participating in the event.

The Military World Games will be held under the aegis of international military sports council or Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) in French. Armed forces of 127 countries are members of CIMS, based in the Belgian capital Brussels,

The games were first held in Rome in 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II and the ratification of the UN Charter. The second Military World Games were held in Zagreb, Croatia (August 1999) and the third again in Italy (December 2003).

'The games, which are being held for the first time outside Europe, will showcase the fact that militaries all over the world do not always fight but work for peace,' said Singh.

He was confident that the infrastructure, including the games village, would be ready for the event by August end.

The army commander said the Military World Games were of high standards and pointed out that 25 percent of the medal winners went on to win medals in the Olympics.

'In terms of size and participation the games are next only to the Olympics. They are far bigger than the Commonwealth and Asian Games,' he said

'The games will make Hyderabad proud. It will not only showcase Indian Air Force, Army and Navy but also showcase Hyderabad to the world,' he said, and pointed out that the city successfully hosted the 2002 National Games and the 2003 Afro Asian Games.

Elaborate security arrangements would be made for the event, he said. 'Since mischief makers and subversive elements want to take advantage of such events to create trouble, it will be a high alert period with security checking at different points and restriction on traffic in few places. We will be working closely with police and other government agencies,' he said.

The Great Indian Bison commonly known as 'Gaur' nicknamed Bravo is the mascot of the games. The 54 Infantry Division of the Indian Army, which is located here, has the bison as its formation sign.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service