Focus on preparation, forget about results: Gill

NEW DELHI: Sports Minister M S Gill on Friday sought to lessen the burden of expectations on Indian athletes ahead of the Beijing Olympics, advising them to focus on their preparation and not bother about the results.

Gill said in sports it can never be predicted who will win on a particular day but what was possible was to go with full preparation.

"It's sports, only god knows who will win on a particular day. If you ask me, I will say India should win all the medals and no one else should be given any medals. But it's a competition and everyone is in race to win the honours, so the best thing is to go prepared and forget about the pressure of outcome," Gill told reporters on the sidelines of a programme.

The Sports Minister also rubbished reports that athletes were facing problems in training before the Olympics due to the infrastructure building ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"Training is very much on. Sports Authority of India (SAI) has made all the arrangements, there is better and bigger infrastructure available at other places than Delhi. Otherwise, how did 4x400 women's relay team qualified for the event (in Korat, Thailand on Thursday), women's hockey team is also training abroad, besides shooters are perennially busy in foreign (competitions)," he said.

Gill also addressed a 100-member delegation, which will leave for China on Sunday, for a 10-day visit under the Indo-China Youth Exchange programme.

The delegation, comprising members from across the country, will visit Beijing, Guiyang, Fuzhou and Shanghai.

"It is a very good idea to have such exchanges because governments keep talking but when people, especially youth of the two countries, will interact, maturity and understanding between the two countries will definitely grow," Gill said.

"They (delegation members) will go and see how they (Chinese) work, how is their infrastructure, industry and culture and bring back all that knowledge to India.

"It is a very unique moment for the delegation. It will be a meaningful visit for the delegation at the time when almost everyone wants to go to China," he added.

On the diplomatic relations with China, he said "which relationships in the world does not have difficulties? But we are maturing," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi said the country, although hit by a major earthquake, is ready to welcome the world for the Games.

"We are trying our best to have a great Games. Beijing is ready to host tourists with the largest Asian airport, new highways and railways among other infrastructure and facilities which would be unveiled during the Games," he said.

"It is very important for the two countries to have such bilateral cultural exchanges among other things."

Yuxi, however, would not be in Beijing during the Olympics.

"I am not lucky, I have to stay here because of work and I have to also arrange for the visits of some Indian officials, who would be attending the Olympics," he said.