Bhubaneswar, March 16: Secretary of the Orissa Olympic Association Ashirbad Behera did not find support from the sports fraternity for his veiled threat to ace sprinter Srabani Nanda regarding her participation in the 2012 London Olympics.

Behera had said Srabani’s participation in the 2012 Olympics would be in jeopardy as she had dared to skip the National Games and join a training camp in Australia.

Reacting to the threat, former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey said sports authorities should be supportive towards Srabani.

“I know Srabani very well. She would definitely have loved to represent the state and would have won a couple of medals at the National Games. The Orissa Olympic Association has always helped athletes from the state and must be supportive to the young talent grow,” he said.

Tirkey added that participating in the Olympics was a dream for every sportperson and Srabani would make the country proud.

“She is an asset of the state and Orissa would be proud if she participated in the Olympics,” he said.

“Representing the country in the Olympics is the most exciting moment for any sportsperson. State sports authorities should forget all hard feelings and come forward to help Srabani take part in the Olympics with confidence,” said another eminent athlete under the cover of anonymity.