Aussie sports administrators back SMAM

Australian consultancy firm SMAM, whose contract was terminated by the Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers for "non-performance", got the backing of top sports administrators here who said the company has been made a scapegoat in the corruption scandals that have rocked the event in India.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said the Delhi Games OC was trying to divert attention from the allegations of widescale corruption and incompetence by terminating the Melbourne-based Sports Marketing and Management's (SMAM) contract.

"It may well be that this is a way for people to distract and deflect criticism from themselves in terms of the organisation of these Games that clearly have some problems," he said.

Australia's Commonwealth Games Association CEO Perry Crosswhite also backed the firm, which was supposed to rope in sponsorship for the Delhi Games but failed to fulfill expectations of the organisers.

"They are a well known and very respectable Australian company," Crosswhite told the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

SMAM is headed by Mike Bushell, who supervised sponsorship deals for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

"They have always done a very good job for us. I have full confidence in them," said Crosswhite.

Another sports administrator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was scathing in his criticism of the way SMAM's contract was terminated.

"The Indians don't want to pay up, and so they are 0ttacking and making these claims. This is not an isolated thing, getting money out of them - particularly if you are a foreign contractor - it has been a nightmare. They are trying to push this thing out and out to avoid paying the commissions they owe," he fumed.