In a bid to set at rest speculation and uncertainty about the participation of teams for the Afro-Asian Games, Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and African officials declared that the cream of African athletes will be taking part in the inaugural Games, beginning in Hyderabad from October 24.
"The African contingent will be a strong one, studded with 80 gold medallists at the Abuja, Nigeria, [the All-Africa Games] of which 38 are boxers," International Olympic Council member General Lassana
Palenfo told reporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Asserting that Africa tried to field its best teams for the Games, Palenfo said: "Cameroon had to be
replaced at the last minute due to certain problems, but we are here with the best teams in all the disciplines."
Asked why not a single football team from the top four African nations -- Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia and Senegal -- had come, he replied: "We opted for the best teams; not second string. We could get Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe who are better-ranked. In boxing, swimming and hockey we have the best teams," he added.
African Boxing Federation general secretary Emmanuel Eboueyone said the African contingent is packed with heavyweights from the 48 kgs to 91-plus categories and they will use the Games exposure to prepare for the Athens Olympics.
Among those that arrived on Tuesday were the football teams of Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, the South African hockey team, the swimming team of South Korea and the Pakistan hockey team, Kalmadi informed.