Bangalore: "How can they allow cricketers not to reveal their whereabouts when all the others sportspersons are duty bound to do so?'
This was the majority refrain from athletes in other sports about the new clause in the revised draft Sports Bill that makes a special allowance to cricket.
"I think a rule should be the same for everyone. If cricketers can tweet the places they are visiting, people they are meeting then they definitely are not an unsocial lot. And if being on social media does not endanger their security etc, then I can't imagine what harm can whereabouts clause do, specially since it is protected info," ace shooter Gagan Narang, bronze medal winner at the World Championships told TOI.
"Even a Roger Federer and a Rafael Nadal fill in the form and it applies to all top athletes," the Hyderabadi, one of India's bright hopes for a medal at the London Games, added.
Top rifle shooter Avneet Kaur Sidhu was also against special treatment to the cricketers. "We all know that cricket is like a religion in India but if everyone else has to provide their whereabouts then why not cricketers too?" wondered Avneet Kaur. "They are also the pride of our nation. So what if they get caught and bring bad name to the sport?"
"All the sports should be treated equally. I can't see any reason why there should be any exception. The International Cricket Council may not have accepted the WADA code but that shouldn't stop NADA from getting the Indian cricketers on board," Avneet said.
Another top marksman, who won dozens of gold medals for India, echoed similar views. "It has always been the case and cricket was treated differently as they have got very strong support from everywhere. Mary Kom had to win five world titles before she was conferred the Khel Ratna whereas the cricketers get the awards regularly. In fact, the bill got stuck the first time because of cricket," he said.
The Times Of India