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The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) Secretary Mahinder Pal Singh said on Monday that Pakistani athletes are unlikely to take part in the 43rd Senior Asian Track Cycling Championship, starting from February 21 onwards.
The 43rd edition of the championship will be held in Delhi from February 21 to February 26. Speaking to ANI, CFI secretary Mahinder said, "The Pakistani contingent had got timely clearance from our Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs. But there is some political instability in their country. We talked to our Pakistan counterparts and they said that they are trying to get clearance from their government but have not yet got the clearance. With most probability, Pakistan will not be a part of this Asian Championships." Mahinder said that the championship will feature 18 teams in total, including the world champions and Olympic champions. "There will be a total of 500+ cyclists in action, the biggest for any championship in Asian cycling so far. Along with a challenge, this championship is like a ray of hope for us. When we host such a big competition, the organisation and players feel proud. We are ready to live up to the expectations of all, both on and off the field," he added. Mahinder said that India's holding of these big events is a building block towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of bringing the Olympics to India in 2036. "PM Modi has a dream of bringing the Olympics to India. We had organised a Chess Olympiad earlier and many other big events, especially continental events. These are the building blocks towards fulfilling PM's dream and showing the world that our organisation skills are among the best in the world," said Mahinder. PM Modi said on Sunday that India as a country is setting big goals today, such as aiming to host the Youth Olympics and Olympics in the future. Addressing party leaders and supporters on the closing day of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Convention at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi said, "India is setting big goals today... We are preparing for the Youth Olympics in 2029 (2030). We are working to host the Olympics in our country in 2036..." The summer Youth Olympics will be held in Dakar, Senegal in 2026, while the winter Youth Olympics will be held in Gangwon, South Korea this year from January 19 to February 1. This is the multi-sport event held for players aged 15 to 18 years of age by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Paris Summer Olympics will be held this year from July 26 to August 11 this year. India held the IOC session in Mumbai last year. The 141st edition of the session was held from October 15 to 17. (ANI)
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