India's cricket chiefs on Saturday turned down a request from beleaguered Commonwealth Games organisers for a grant of one billion rupees (22 million dollars). Games organiser Suresh Kalmadi earlier this month asked the cash-rich Indian cricket board (BCCI) for financial assistance as costs escalated for the Games to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14.
The BCCI's decision-making working committee, which met in Mumbai on Saturday, decided to turn down Kalmadi's request, without giving any reason. "The committee expressed its inability to agree to the request of the Commonwealth Games to be the lead partner by donating one billion rupees," a terse BCCI release said. Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill told parliament on Thursday the government was spending 2.46 billion dollars to conduct the Games, far above the estimate of 141 million dollars when the bid was made in 2003.
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