Australian Champ Dani's $20k challenge to Poonia
19 Oct, 2010, 0135 hrs IST, Saibal Bose, TNN
JAIPUR: She pulled out of the Commonwealth Games but now she's seething for a showdown. In a challenge straight out of the Wild West, Australian discus world champ Dani Samuels has demanded a duel with Krishna Poonia, who led a historic Indian 1-2-3 sweep of the event at the Games.
The prize is $20,000, and the winner takes it all. But Samuels is unwilling to face Poonia on her home ground and wants the face-off to be held in Australia.
"A sponsor has offered $20,000 winner-takes-all, making it the biggest cash prize for a discus event in the world. The Diamond League offers $10,000 prize money, well we have doubled that to give Poonia her shot at the champ," Samuels' coach Denis Knowles was quoted as saying by the Australian media.
Poonia is ready to take up any challenge, but only if it is before December. "It has been a gruelling year," Krishna's husband Virender Poonia told TOI on Monday. "She would be resting after December. So, if Dani has any challenges in mind, it had better be before that, and at a neutral venue."
Poonia is ready for the face-off with Samuels but is yet to get any communication from the other side. "We have neither received a phone call nor a mail from anyone associated with Dani regarding this challenge," said Virender, who accompanied his wife to Patiala on Monday for a training camp. "We can only commit after we are told about the date."
He added that Krishna would under no circumstance compromise on her Asian Games participation for this challenge. "We will go for the gold there (Guangzhou)," Virender said. "If Dani wants Krishna to compete with her during the Asian Games, our answer is no."
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I would call this another instance of bad sportsmanship ! Whatever prevented Dani from participating in the CWG ? Was she too scared of all the terrorist threats that were doing the rounds in media. The other sportspeople had more trust , courage and faith. She lost on those counts.
If Dani wanted to so badly proove herself to be the best she ought to have competed in the event. If you have missed an event then you ve missed it girl !!! If every wannabe champion goes on challenging the winner after the sports event is over then there would be no end to it !