Saturday, October 31, 2009

CWG 2010 organisers launch tree plantation drive

STAFF WRITER 13:15 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has initiated a tree plantation drive in host city Delhi to combat the adverse impact of Games-related construction work on the environment.

"The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 is cognizant of the impact that big sporting events have on the environment," OC said in a statement.

"In this context, the OC CWG Delhi 2010 has initiated a plantation drive with Department of Environment (DoE), GNCTD, which has been kicked off at Aaya Nagar city forest today.

"This initiative will be followed by plantations across the five other city forests identified by DoE for the Games," it added.

"About 3,000 saplings were planted in the Aaya Nagar forest by student volunteers from Eco-Clubs schools and colleges of Delhi, members of Delhi Government, Forest Department and OC members," the statement said.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Kalmadi claims CWG OC has CGF chief Fennell's support

LONDON: Giving out clear signals that the Commonwealth Games organisers are ready to bury the hatchet with their international bosses, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Monday said they have the backing of CGF chief Michael Fennell and all issues with the parent body will be resolved.

The 2010 CWG and Commonwealth Games Federation top brass have been engaged in a public spat for some time now but two days before he is to meet Fennell to sort out the issues, Kalmadi claimed the OC has the support of the CGF chief.

"Of course, we have had great support of the Commonwealth Games Federation Present Fennell. I am sure all issues will be resolved and the Games will be held in the most conducive atmosphere," Kalmadi said ahead of the launch of Queens Baton Relay on Thursday.

Before departing India, Kalmadi had already tone down his earlier tough stand of demanding transfer of CGF chief executive Mike Hooper from Delhi as he was of "no use" and "impediment" to the working of the OC, saying he did not want any more confrontation.

Kalmadi assured that the OC and Government of India were leaving no stone unturned to make the Games a mega success.

"We have had unstinted support of Government of India, especially Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sports Minister MS Gill. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been working hard to make Delhi a world class city," he said in the presence of Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and tennis star Sania Mirza.

TOI

Monday, October 12, 2009

Delhi government seeks more central funds for CWG

STAFF WRITER 17:20 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 12(PTI) Racing against time to complete all the projects linked to next year's Commonwealth Games, Delhi Government has sought additional funds from the Centre to expedite work related to the mega sporting event.

"We have sought additional funds (from the Centre) as cost of several projects have escalated," Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.

The Chief Minister, however, did not reveal how much money her government has sought from the Centre.

"We are hopeful of getting additional funds as we were told that there will be no shortage of money for any project related to the event," she said.

Officials said the city Government's revenue collection fell by over Rs 400 crore in the first four months of the current fiscal, prompting it to make a request to the Centre for additional funds.

Adverse reports on CWG not accurate: Fennell

STAFF WRITER 11:58 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 12 (PTI) Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell says many of the reports on Delhi's tardy preparations for the 2010 Games are "not quite accurate" and the government of India is paying full attention to hosting the event successfully.

"We are coming here in the midst of many adverse reports about Delhi, reports that are not quite accurate," Fennell, who has been quite critical in his assessment of Delhi's preparedness in the past, said while inaugurating the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly here in Indian national capital New Delhi.

"But one conflicting fact is that attention is being paid by the government of India through (Sports) Minister M S Gill, who has given qualified assurance that all the resources that are necessary to ensure the successful celebration of the Games in 2010 will be provided by the government," he added.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Fennell meets Gill to discuss CWG preparations

STAFF WRITER 19:24 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) Amid mounting concerns about the tardy pace of preparations for next year's Commonwealth Games, CGF chief Mike Fennell today met Sports Minister M S Gill to discuss the progress of work.

Fennell, who arrived in the Capital last night to attend a Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly meet on October 12, is understood to have discussed the "areas of concern" with the minister.

The minister briefed Fennell on various projects related to the October 3 to 14 mega-event.

The meeting comes barely a day after Gill's meeting with the Prime Minister in which Manmohan Singh took stock of the ongoing projects in an hour-long meet also attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others.

Sound proof rail corridor near C'Wealth games village

STAFF WRITER 9:20 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) In order to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games, Railways have given their nod for covering rail tracks running close to the upcoming games village here with sound proof material.

The 1.1 km-long sound proof corridor will ensure that athletes are not disturbed by the passing trains and have a comfortable stay in the games village.

"When completed, it will be one its kind sound proof railway corridor in the country," a senior Railway Ministry official said.

The construction work will be carried out by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which had approached the railways with the idea, he said.

DDA Officials said it will take about three months to construct the corridor. The cost of raising the corridor is being worked out.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

STAFF WRITER 13:29 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him about the status of infrastructure projects being implemented ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.

Dikshit drove to the Race Course Road residence of the Prime Minister for the meeting which was also attended by Union Sports Minister M S Gill.

Her meeting with Singh comes in the backdrop of criticism that some of the crucial infrastructure projects will miss the October 2010 deadline.

Sources said the Chief Minister has briefed Singh about the status of the Games related projects and where it stands now.

The Dikshit government has been facing flak for delay in construction of virtually every infrastructure project being undertaken by the Delhi government for the big sports event.

AI to be official carrier of Commonwealth Games

STAFF WRITER 15:17 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Air India was today designated as the official carrier of the Commonwealth Games 2010 and said it is mulling to run special charter services to accommodate visitors and sportspersons during the mega event next year.

The airline today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to be the official carrier during the Games, which is scheduled to be held between October 3 and 14, 2010.

"Air India has become the first company to be associated with the Commonwealth Games, and we will put our best foot forward as an official carrier," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav said at the signing ceremony.

He said that the national carrier would consider re-routing and upgrading of aircraft as per the requirement depending on the size of foreign delegations.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

India far behind schedule for 2010 Commonwealth Games

NEW DELHI: Just a year before India is to host the Commonwealth Games, the boxing arena is filled with dirt and concrete rubble.
Commonwealth Games


The swimming stadium appears to be a half-finished a shell. The track and field stadium, the centerpiece of the games, remains surrounded by cranes and many of the highway overpasses needed to shuttle athletes and fans through New Delhi's notoriously clogged streets are little more than concrete pylons holding nothing.

India had hoped the event, from Oct. 3-14 next year and featuring 71 nations and territories of the old British empire, would burnish its international image and smooth the way for bids on more prestigious competitions, maybe even the Olympics.

But the slow pace of preparations and repeatedly lapsed deadlines have sparked fears that even this midlevel event will descend into chaos and deeply embarrass India.

The emerging crisis also feeds the nation's inferiority complex with regard to neighboring China, which was widely praised for its staging of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The whole prestige of the country is involved in organizing (the Games) on time," political analyst Sujit Dutta said.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell has grown so concerned that the delays might jeopardize the New Delhi event, he called for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop an emergency recovery plan.

"Time is certainly not their friend," said Mike Hooper, the CEO of the CGF, who is in New Delhi helping oversee the preparations. "One year away is not a lot of time and there is a lot to be done."

The roughly $3 billion event was seen as an opportunity to display the "New India", with its phenomenal growth rate and its increasing status as an Asia power, on an international stage.

That optimism has now devolved into a desperate scramble to prevent the Games from becoming a humiliating failure.

A government audit issued in July said 14 of the 19 venues were at risk of not being finished on time. In terms of urban infrastructure, more than half of 20 critical bridges and overpasses might not be ready. Media reports said thousands of promised hotel rooms were unlikely to be finished in time.

The government shelved plans to clean up some of the capital's notorious slums in favor of planting thousands of bamboo trees to shield the worst neighborhoods from view. It is sending out magistrates in mobile courts who have the power to remove beggars from the city's intersections.

The Times of India newspaper, in a recent editorial, pleaded with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take over the preparations from the local organizers and put the Games on a "war footing."

"If we goof up in holding the Games, India will become a laughing stock," the newspaper declared. "It would not only impact India's ambitions to hold other major events, such as the Olympics, but more importantly dent the country's standing as an investment and tourist destination."

India's initial bid for the Games promised the venues would be completed by 2007. The local organizers' Web site still says many will be done by September and October 2009.

In a recent news conference, local organizers insisted nearly all the venues would be completed by the end of the year.

"The job is enormous," said Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing panel. "This is a challenge. There will be problems, but we will face the problems."

Kalmadi angrily denied the delays had forced him to cancel any of the "test events" scheduled as trial runs for the venues before the Games. The next day, with the shooting range badly behind schedule, India announced it would no longer host the 2010 pistol and rifle World Cup in March.

The full facelift underway at Talkatora Stadium in the heart of Delhi was scheduled to be completed by October, a year before Commonwealth Games boxers are to square off in the ring there.

But the stadium is nowhere near completion. Inside is a shell filled with blue scaffolding. The floor is a pit of ripped-up concrete and mounds of earth. Electric wiring dangles from walls. One bathroom is an empty husk of crumbling brick and mud floors except for shiny new blue and gray tiles lining part of the walls.

There was little sign of construction on a recent afternoon. A few dozen people milled around, one or two hammers clanged against metal and an electric saw buzzed in the distance.

Hooper said the Dec. 31 deadline for most of the venues "seems a little bit optimistic," though organizers have promised to redouble their efforts and Games officials were "reasonably confident" the venues would get finished by the do-or-die deadline at the end of March.

That would leave just enough time for workers to install technical equipment, bring in the needed sports gear, lay the turf and test the facilities for players, media, dignitaries as well as deal with a host of other unexpected issues, officials said.

Ron Walker, who was chairman of the organizing committee for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, said his staff had to fly in emergency equipment from overseas after uncovering problems during the testing for those games.

"There's so many things that can go wrong. Security, we had rehearsals for security for months," Walker, a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Australia's second biggest city, and chairman of the annual Australian Formula One Grand Prix, said in a telephone interview.

The Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006 Games have been praised by CGF officials as the shining examples of how to host the event.

Some cautioned patience in India, saying the delays were par for the course in a country where everything from meetings to weddings start late.

"Indians do have this knack of pulling things off at the last moment," said TCA Rangachari, a former diplomat.

TOI