New Delhi - Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has declined to run in the Olympic torch relay to be held in the capital Thursday, news reports said. The reason for Tendulkar's pull-out from the relay was still not known, IANS news agency reported. It quoted unnamed sources in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as saying that the batsman did not want to aggravate his groin injury with the Indian Premier League's Twenty-20 tournament scheduled to begin on Friday.
"(There will be) no replacement if Sachin pulls out. It's an individual decision," IOA general secretary Randhir Singh was quoted as saying by NDTV television channel.
Tibetan refugee groups in India have been holding protests leading up to the torch relay and the Beijing Olympics saying they want to use the occasion to draw international attention to China's human rights violations in Tibet.
A group of Tibetan protestors tried to storm the Chinese embassy in the Indian capital but where arrested by police guarding the area before they could reach the first barricade of barbed wire, NDTV television network reported. At least 100 protestors have been detained.
The Tibetans plan major demonstrations on Thursday to coincide with the torch rally in Delhi.
Tibetan groups have requested Indian torchbearers to withdraw or to wear black armbands and use the occasion to highlight the cause of Tibet.
Three people, including Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia, former police official Kiran Bedi and film star Soha Ali Khan have already withdrawn from the relay.
The IOA is expected to announce its final list of torch-bearers on Wednesday.
At least 15,000 police personnel are expected to guard the relay route, which has been reduced from 9 to 2.5 kilometres for security concerns.
