Veteran Brit athlete says cricket in Olympics will hamper individual disciplines

In what could be described as a setback for those who are vehemently demanding that cricket should be included in Olympics, veteran British athlete Linford Christie has said that the game should not be included in the Olympics as the Games were considered more as an individual sportsman event, and not a team event.

Christie, the only British athlete to win 100 metre race gold medals in Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European championships, feels including cricket in the Olympics could be detrimental to other disciplines.

He feared that including cricket into Olympics would "hamper" prospects of individual disciplines which wait for the Games to showcase their talents to the world.

"Team sports like cricket should not be included in the Olympics. Olympics is a personal game where sportsman tries to excel within himself. It would be unfair to include cricket in the Olympics as the players of other sports, especially of individual events wait for the single day to happen and show their talents," The News quoted the 48-year-old 100 metre champion as saying..

Cricket, wherever is popular, "hampers other sports, but it is the governments who should take corrective measures to ensure that individual sports also get their due," said Christie, who won the gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in 100 metre.

The Jamaica-born British sprinter, who also won silver medals in Seoul Olympics in 100 metre and 4x100 metre relay, said Olympics was for individual sportsman. "Olympics is the lifeline. The player waits for this day after long four years to showcase his talent and also to let the world know about him," he said. (ANI)

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