Commonwealth Game 2010 a Historical Event

Commonwealth is an organization of independent sovereign states with different faiths, cultures, races, languages and traditions in the world. The Commonwealth Games is a sports event which is held once every four years. It is managed by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The Commonwealth India 2010 or Commonwealth Games 2010 will be held in New Delhi.

About 14 million people will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010. India will host Commonwealth Game for the first time. And Asia will host this event for the second time after the Commonwealth Game 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. Delhi became the host for the Commonwealth 2010 Games by defeating the Canadian city of Hamilton by 46 votes. This voting was done at CGF General Assembly in Montego Bay in November 2003.

Delhi, the capital city of India, is rich in history and culture. Located on the western end of the Gangetic Plain, this state is bordered by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The old district of the state popularly known as Old Delhi was the capital of Muslim India during the 18th century.

Many mosques and historic sites were built in this part of Delhi during the reign of the Muslim rulers. Later on, museums to commemorate their victories were built here. New Delhi was created by the British Raj. The majestic government buildings and tree lined avenues are worth visiting.

In order to attend the Commonwealth India 2010, you will have to be at Delhi from 3 - 14 October 2010 and witness the special event, right from the Opening to the Closing Ceremonies. October is a favorable time to visit Delhi as the temperature ranges from minimum 17.2 degrees centigrade to maximum 31.3 degrees centigrade. Humidity during this time of the year ranges from 31 to 78% for the October and November months.

The Commonwealth Game 2010 will be held in the Delhi Games Village, located at the city center. It will be constructed as a low rise medium development on a 40 acre site and can accommodate 8,500 athletes and officials. Both the existing and new stadium will serve as the venue for a range of sports like:


Archery
Aquatics
Athletics
Badminton
Boxing
Cycling
Gymnastics
Hockey
Lawn Bowls
Netball
Rugby 7s
Shooting
Squash
Table Tennis
Tennis
Weightlifting
Wrestling

Apart from this, there will be 15 special events for the elite disabled athletes which will be contested across 4 Para-Sports like Athletics, Swimming, Power lifting and Table Tennis.

Tips for Visitors for Delhi Commonwealth Games

If you are planning to come to the city of Delhi in India during 2010 commonwealth games, then it is important to know the facilities of the local transportation available in Delhi. Majority of the people in Delhi use local transport facilities to commute from one place to another. The availability of different modes and means of transportation system has added to their convenience of traveling.

Some of the common modes of transport which are mostly used in the city range from taxis and buses to the trains.

Transport in Delhi
Taxis
For the visitors to the Delhi commonwealth games, taxis would serve as a convenient transport. Most of the taxis in Delhi are run by the tourism ministry of India. There are private operators too. You can avail taxis for traveling to the local sites as well as for long distances. To hire a taxi, you need to access the taxi stand or seek the help of the taxi service provider by telephone. Just remember that taxi journey proves little expensive.

Buses (DTC)
Bus services can be availed at cheap rates. Boasting one of the biggest bus networking systems in India, Delhi provides you an access to more than 2000 public buses. Some of the buses are run by private operators and some of them are operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

The city has also introduced CNG buses. These are environmental friendly.

RTVs or Rural Transport Vehicles
You can also avail the services of the rural transport vehicles. But these ply on fewer routes only.

Auto Rickshaws
Costly than buses and cheaper to taxis, the auto rickshaw services are easily available. However, you need to be little careful while going for this service. Many auto drivers do not agree to follow meters. If this happens, you are recommended to bargain a little for fare in advance.

Metro Train
This is a newly developed transport mode of the city. Started out in 2002, the metro train service has already become popular with the locals and has been acclaimed as one of the topnotch rapid transit systems in Asia. The traveling fares are moderate. This service enables you to travel across about 59 stations of the city.

For your convenience, route maps and rate charts have been made available at the Metro Stations.

Local Trains
Known to be the cheapest transport mode in Delhi, the local trains are best to avail to save travel time. Some of the major railway stations in Delhi are Old Delhi, New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Shahdara, Shakur Basti, Okhla, Pragati Maidan and Tilak Bridge.

Apart from transport, the other travel tips for visitors traveling to Delhi for Commonwealth games comprise money exchange facility and sightseeing spots that are worth visiting.

Money Exchange facility in Delhi
Numerous money exchange kiosks are found in Delhi. However, it is always better to avail services of the kiosks which are run by government.

The exchange rates would differ from one kiosk to another. So do opt for bargaining. You will find these kiosks near railway stations and airports. Besides, several hotels of different categories also provide in-house money exchange facilities.

Tourist Attractions in Delhi
An experience of traveling during Delhi commonwealth will become exciting and memorable, if you can take some time out to explore the popular sightseeing spots of the city. Some of the noted hot spots in Delhi are the India Gate, the Qutab Minar, the Red Fort, the Raj Ghat and the Lotus Temple or the Baha'i Temple.

Work on schedule, stadia would be ready before 2010 CWG: Govt

New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) The government today allayed fears that much of the construction work for the Commonwealth Games is running behind schedule and assured stadia and other infrastructure would be ready in time for the 2010 sporting extravaganza in the capital.

"The work on the major stadia being constructed for Commonwealth Games, 2010 namely Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, National Stadium, Dr S P Mukherjee Swimming Complex, Thyagraj Stadium, Sri Fort Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and R K Khanna Tennis Stadium is progressing as per schedule," the government said in a statement.

"The targetted date for completion of these civil and electrical works is December 31, 2009 while targetted date for completion of the Games Village and the Cycling Vellodrome is March 31, 2010. The civil and electrical work of Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges will be completed by October, this year," the statement said.

Deadlines have been set up for each venue and work progressed would be monitored on a web-based Monitoring System developed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, it said.

The Sports Ministry said work on the venues are being done in a phased manner to prevent facilities getting worn out by the time the Games kicks off.

PTI

DDA to provide 5,000 houses for Games tourists

New Delhi In a bid to meet the current shortage of accommodation in the Capital for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Inter-Ministerial Group has given a go-ahead to the Delhi Development Authority’s proposal of providing 5,000 houses to the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). According to the plan, these 5,000 houses will be furnished by the ITDC and then used to accommodate foreign tourists in the Capital for the 2010 Games. Thereafter, the DDA will sell these houses through its usual lottery scheme.

Sources in the DDA have said that while they are yet to get an official directive from the Ministry of Urban Development, they are aware of the proposal and are equipped to meet the demand. “We currently have 14,000 houses under construction in Delhi and will definitely be able to hand over 5,000 houses to the ITDC in time for them to furnish them before the Games. Almost 2,500 of these houses are in Vasant Kunj,” a senior DDA official said.

With a shortage of almost 30,000 hotel rooms in the Capital, meeting the huge gap in accommodation has been a major concern for the government. The DDA as of now does not expect that the cost of these houses will go up significantly after they are spruced up by the ITDC. The DDA is expected to hand over these flats by March 9 this year, which the ITDC will hand back after the Games. source: http://www.expressindia.com/

Commonwealth Games expenses to overshoot budget

Expenses for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India will overshoot the budgeted costs, the head of the organizing body said Tuesday.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing committee and president of the Indian Olympic Association, said the budget for the multidiscipline event will increase due to the rising cost of construction.

"The games budget will increase considering the escalating prices of raw material used in construction," Press Trust of India quoted Kalmadi as saying after an inspection visit of the stadium that will stage athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies.

"We're building an international standard stadium here and we won't compromise on that," Kalmadi said. "The prices of steel and cement are high and we're taking that into consideration."

Two months ago, during an appraisal survey of the venues, the Commonwealth Games Federation said it was concerned over the slow pace of work, but Kalmadi said the construction and upgrading of venues would be completed in the next 12 months.

"We're on target and 30 percent of the work has been completed," Kalmadi said. "Most of the infrastructure will be ready by December and the test events will start in March next year."

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled for Oct. 3-14.

New Delhi was chosen to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games after several previous failed bids, becoming only the second Asian city to be allocated the event that features athletes from the former British Empire.

Source: http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=830983&lang=eng_news

I want to see myself in India colours again: Jugraj

KOLKATA: More than five years after a road accident brought his flying career to a standstill, drag-flick specialist Jugraj Singh still battles it out to see himself back in the Indian jersey and is miffed for being part of the system which has lapses.

Once a posterboy of Indian hockey for his superb skills, Jugraj, who is representing Punjab Police in the Beighton Cup here, lamented at the state of affairs of Indian hockey and said the first requirement is to have a federation in place.

Lambasting the present Indian hockey set up -- an ad-hoc committee, which looks after the federation which was disbanded by IOA last year -- Jugraj said, "There are few lapses in the federation. Things cannot be smooth till we have a federation in place. It was very embarassing to see India not figure in Olympics..."

He claimed he was part of the system as he failed to get back his place despite recovering well from the injury.

He made a comeback for India for the Germany tour in 2006 before being left on the sidelines.

But he said the team must do well in the present and aim for a better show in future.

"We must not look into the past but should do well in the present and hope for a better show in 2010. There will be Commonwealth Games and World Cup lined up in 2010, I am sure if we do well the glorious days will be back."

He stressed on the importance of developing coaching facility in India.

Giving his example, he said he was never taught drag flicking.

"I started drag flicking, seeing from TV. Nobody taught me this. The federation should look after the players, give enough coaching and infrastructure facility so as to see the sport come back to its glorious days," he added.

He however has not stopped dreaming about making a comeback.

"I am doing very well now. I am playing all matches and can play the full 70 minutes on the field that shows that I've fully recovered. One day I would like to see Indian jersey on my body again," he signed off.

"First I was called to be prepared. So I waited for six months, however there was no call-up and suddenly, one day I was called to appear before the trials which was not fair. Certainly, there are few lapses in the selection procedure," he claimed.

Considered as one of the best in penalty-corner conversion, Jugraj met with the accident in September 2003 which nearly ended his brilliant career as he was out of action for 14 months.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I_want_to_see_myself_in_India_colours_again_Jugraj/articleshow/3953336.cms

No money for women hockey players, coaches

BANGALORE: Women's hockey in India is never short on controversies. The latest to rack the game is the irregular flow of graded payments to the national pool of players and coaches that began with the entry of a sponsor three years ago.

It's been nearly a year since the players and coaches received their cheques from City Limouzines, the sponsor roped in by the Indian Women's Hockey Federation (IWHF) in 2006, sources told TOI.

Payments were regular in the first few months but shrunk to a trickle by mid-2007 before the last of the cheques were handed over in February 2008, the sources said.

According to the IWHF grid laid out in 2006, players were bracketed in the Rs 10,000, Rs 8,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 categories while the coaches were given Rs 15,000 (national coach), Rs 12,000 (chief coach, juniors) and Rs 5,000.

There were obvious difficulties in grading players every month, particularly with the frequent entries and exits in the team but sources alleged that the IWHF contributed to the situation by being rather slack in its approach.

City Limouzines officials corroborated the view stating that there were many months of inactivity when frequent reminders from the sponsor to the federation went unheard.

"We told them on many occasions to send the list of players to us so that we could clear the payments. We are committed to paying stipend to players and coaches and there has never been any delay from our end," a City Limouzines official told TOI. The official said the cheques were always drawn against the names of the players. "This way, we ensured the recipients got the money promptly. There are many players with limited sources of income. We didn't want any complaints from anyone."

According to the official, the sponsor was only playing it safe, particularly after it found that the IWHF had not allegedly kept its word on two other issues. One was the publicity and advertisement which the federation had said the sponsor would get in major tournaments.

"Out of a total amount of Rs 1.05 crore to be handed over annually to the IWHF until the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Rs 50 lakh had to go to the players and the other half was to be given to the IWHF for publicity. But we weren't happy with the results or the visibility that we got. So we decided that we wouldn't pay them the other Rs 50 lakh," the official said.

The remaining Rs 5 lakh, reserved for team jerseys and kitting, too hasn't been spent in a deserving fashion in the past, the official alleged.

The IWHF denied it had defaulted on the payments but admitted there had been a delay. "There are difficulties in getting things done on time because we are functioning without an office," a federation official told TOI. "We have to prepare lists of players for every month and that requires time."

The official insisted the players would be paid once they reach Delhi in the next few days en route to their respective international tours.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hockey/News/No_money_for_women_hockey_players_coaches/articleshow/3953854.cms

DDA may provide 5,000 flats to house C'wealth visitors

NEW DELHI: As the city gears up to host Commonwealth Games-2010, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is likely to provide around 5,000 apartments to meet the huge accommodation shortage, a major concern ahead of the mega event.

Racing against time, an inter-ministerial group set up to expedite preparations for the Games is learnt to have okayed the proposal to ask DDA to meet the accommodation shortage by handing over around 5,000 flats to India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) before the event.

The proposal will help government bridge the gap in hotel accommodation but DDA officials feel the prices of these flats after the ITDC makeover may become too high for the general populace.

TOI had earlier reported that the ministerial panel, headed by urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy, was considering the option of roping in DDA to meet the accommodation deficit.

The ministerial panel, with tourism minister Ambika Soni and S&T minister Kapil Sibal as members, has met several times to review progress of ongoing works being executed by various agencies. The panel's main concern, however, is the shortage of hotel accommodation for foreign and domestic visitors during the sporting extravaganza.

The government expects 1.5 lakh visitors during the Games as 71 countries are scheduled to take part in the event to be held from October 3-14, 2010.

Sports minister M S Gill had also voiced concern that the target of creating an additional 30,000 hotel rooms might not be achieved.

Tourism ministry sources said officials from the ministry and DDA had held several rounds of consultations to finalise modalities for handing over the flats, mostly in Vasant Kunj, to ITDC by March 2009.

A tourism ministry official said that though details were yet to be worked out, ITDC would spruce up the flats after taking possession from DDA to make them more attractive for foreign visitors.

Sources said the flats would be handed back to DDA after the Games and the development agency would be free to auction them to the public.

However, DDA officials said that after the ITDC makeover, prices of the flats would escalate many times over.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/DDA_may_provide_5000_flats_to_house_Cwealth_visitors/articleshow/3953261.cms

Sheila reviews work at three 2010 Games sites

NEW DELHI: A day after a labourer was killed in an accident at the Commonwealth Games Village site, CM-designate Sheila Diskhit visited three Games-related projects on Monday to review the progress of construction work. She reiterated her commitment to facilitate the success of the event in 2010 which would enhance Delhi's image, an official release said.

The CM, with a fleet of officials from her office, MCD, PWD, CPWD and Sports Authority of India (SAI), visited the Thyagraj Sports Complex, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, besides reviewing the status of Salim Garh fort bypass project, which is yet to get a go ahead from Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).

The CM had sought the mandate to carry out development works for the Games during her election campaign.

Dikshit reportedly instructed officials to ensure uniform signages and fool-proof security measures at all the venues. According to CMO, the construction is in full swing and is one month ahead of the schedule. Dikshit asked the MCD to give a facelift to neighbouring localities, the release said.

She was told by officials at JLN Stadium, where upgradation, renovation and new construction are in progress, that the venue would be used for the opening and closing events and three competitions. This is going to be disabled-friendly and environment-friendly. Officials also claimed that the renovated gymnastics stadium, with a capacity to accommodate 16,000 persons, and the new wrestling stadium, with a capacity of 7,500 persons, would be completed in December, 2009. New Velodrome Stadium, having a capacity of 4,000 persons, would be ready by March 2010.

PWD officials also presented the case of DUAC delaying the go ahead for Salim Garh Fort bypass project on the Ring Road. "Since this is also a crucial project and related to the Games, she has told us to take up the issue with the DUAC. We are hopeful of an NOC from the agency soon. A team of DUAC officials would visit the site in the next few days. The authority has certain reservations regarding the number of trees to be axed,'' said a senior PWD official.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/Sheila_reviews_work_at_three_2010_Games_sites/articleshow/3842582.cms

Delhi varsities to be upgraded for Commonwealth Games 2010

New Delhi: In 2010, Delhi will play host to the third largest multi-sporting event in the world, with tens of thousands of visitors descending upon the city. To prepare itself for this, the city is planning a major overhaul of its urban infrastructure as well as its sporting facilities.

Commencing from October 3rd in 2010, the amazing bouquet of exquisite sport events will continue up to October 14th.

The Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. M.S. Gill, recently said that a total of Rs.339 crores will be required for the upgradation and development of the venues of Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium etc. are not just the ones undergoing massive development and upgradation, universities across the capital are also set for an extensive renovation.

The venues including the ones at Delhi University (DU), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Delhi Public School (DPS), R.K. Puram will be upgraded and developed for various competitions and training of sportspersons during the event.

Delhi University (DU) has been selected as the venue for Aquatics and Rugby 7's events.

The varsity is planning to set up an advanced Aquatics complex and a coaching centre to groom the budding talents, keeping in mind the CWG-standards.

The varsity will have four swimming pools including an Olympic size (50 metres) swimming pool, a synchronized swimming pool, warm-up pool and diving pool, each outfitted with a filtration plant and heating system.

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has been selected as the training venue for Lawn Bowls, Rugby 7's and Table Tennis for the mega event.

For enhancing the playing capabilities and medal prospects of Indian sportspersons in the context of the Commonwealth Games 2010, an amount of Rs.678 crores has been approved by the Government towards training; domestic/international competitions in India; foreign exposure; equipments and scientific back-up for the sportspersons.

The target of providing state-of-the-art training is to about 1280 players belonging to 18 sports, in which competition would take place during CWG 2010.

Source:http://indiaedunews.net/Delhi/Delhi_varsities_to_be_upgraded_for_Commonwealth_Games_2010_6835/

Sports ministry develops web-based monitoring system for CWG

NEW DELHI: Amid reports of lax preparation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, sports ministry has gone high-tech by developing a "web-based monitoring system" to make sure all work is completed on time.

Sports minister MS Gill assured that preparations were on full swing and revealed that they were using the state-of-the-art system to keep a tab on preparations so that the deadline to carry out the job was met.

"After obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances, the work on the 13 competition venues and most of the training venues has commenced and is continuing apace," Gill said.

"Time Lines, against monitorable parameters are being monitored, on a web-based monitoring system developed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports," he told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on Thursday.

"The projects are expected to be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games," he added.

Delhi was recently asked by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to speed up their preparations for the prestigious quadrennial event.

SORUCE: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Other_Sports/Others/Sports_ministry_develops_web-based_monitoring_system_for_CWG/articleshow/3824057.cms

India needs more international hockey fields: Australian firm

Melbourne, Nov 7 (IANS) A Melbourne-based global manufacturer of synthetic sporting surfaces, which has been installing hockey surfaces and athletic tracks across India, says international standard synthetic surfaces are crucial for India to regain its golden days of hockey domination in the world.”When hockey moved to synthetic surfaces, India lost out because it currently uses natural grass surfaces. If India wants to push ahead with regaining its supremacy over the game, it needs international standard fields and that is where we come into play with our Poligras XL surfaces,” Advanced Polymer Technology Australasia Pty. Ltd’s managing director, Martin Schlegel, told IANS.

Sports Technology International (STI), a member of Advanced Polymer Technology (APT) Group, is one of the largest and most technologically advanced synthetic sports surface companies in the world with ISO-9001 accredited standard manufacturing facilities in Melbourne.

Its unique sporting surface is made with a low-sliding resistance microfibre yarn and sits on an in-situ built elastic layer which provides exceptional shock absorption for players. This innovative hockey surface has been accredited by the International Hockey Federation and is completely manufactured at Sports Technology International’s factory in Dandenong, Victoria, a 60-minute drive from Melbourne.

STI had recently installed synthetic turf at the official hockey site for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the athletics track facilities for the just concluded third Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune.

With nine hockey surfaces and five running tracks projects under way in major cities across the length and breadth of the country, STI is also in the fray for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Earlier, the company installed sporting surfaces for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, the 2006 Asian Games in Doha (Qatar) and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, besides facilities for various Champions Trophies across the world. “Next year’s Champions Trophy matches hosted in Australia will be also be played on Poligras surfaces,” Schlegel points out.

“We have installed the Steel Authority of India’s hockey facility, using Poligras XL, and a running track for Infosys in Bangalore. However, working in India can be difficult and challenging. Logistically, it is the only country where for implementing projects we have a stipulation that all materials will have to arrive at the same time for customs clearance. In other countries, we get the material as the project progresses,” Schlegel told IANS.

“The other challenge is dealing with the levels of authorities involved in signing the project, which makes it a very lengthy process and also affects cash flow,” he adds.

The company services the construction and contracting industry in the elite sports market, supplying tennis courts, bowling greens, and hockey, football, rugby and multi-sport playing fields as well as athletic running tracks.

Source: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/india-needs-more-international-hockey-fields-australian-firm_100115997.html

F1 race arrival to India delayed by a year to 2011: Kalmadi

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) India's date with high-profile Formula One race is delayed by another year to 2011, Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi said today but refused to give any reason for it.
"Formula One will be held in India in 2011. Berni (Ecclestone, Formula One supremo) and GP Group are working on this plan," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function.

Kalmadi, who had been saying that F1 race will be held in Greater Noida in 2010, however, did not give any reason for the delay.

"I don't know," he said parrying an answer to the queries regarding reasons for the delay.

This followed after President and CEO of Formula One Management Bernie Ecclestone said last month that the Indian Grand Prix will only be inserted in the 2011 season.

IOA signed a deal -- reportedly for 10 years -- in June last year to host F1 in Greater Noida and the site for the race track was surveyed by Hermann Tilke who has designed most new F1 tracks over the past decade including Sepang, Bahrain, Shanghai, Istanbul, Singapore.

Kalmadi expressed happiness that Olympic sports is on the rise in India after the Beijing Games and fine showing by the country in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune last month.

"We won the first individual gold, won bronze in boxing and wrestling in Beijing. It is not about only one or two disciplines. Our youth did well in the recent Commonwealth Youth Games by finishing on top. So, Olympic sports are beginning to do well," he said at a function to celebrate '700 Days to go for the 2010 Commonwealth Games'. PTI

Source: http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/C0EA732BECA6B4AF652574F9003659BC?OpenDocument

IOA signs MoU with Kerala Olympic Association for 2010 National Games

New Delhi, Nov.7 (ANI): The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi today (November 07) signs MoU with Olympic Committee of government of Kerala for the 35th edition of the national games going to be held in the month of May in 2010.

“Today we have signed MoU with Olympic Committee, Government of Kerala for the 35th edition of the National Games, which are going to be held in May in 2010. The national games have been allotted in 2007-08-09 and we have got lot of motivation from Olympic sports. We won medals in Olympics and first unusual gold medal. We won 126 medals in Pune Youth Games also, so Olympic sport is coming alive in India so it’’s a good sign to feel happy for. New champions will create through national games, so the national games are being organised every year,” said Suresh Kalmadi, president, IOA.

He further added that the preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games are progressing as per the schedule and the necessary infrastructure needed for the New Delhi Games will be ready by 2009.

“Common Junior Games held recently in Pune and have been very successful. Both the opening and closing were very good and allcountries came, so it’’s a very good thing. The infrastructure will get ready for commonwealth games by 2009 and no doubt that it will be the best of commonwealth games. We have conducted several meeting for security measures. The security arrangements were very good in Pune and we are hoping that it will be good in Delhi also. We have won 76 medals in common youth games, so what will happen in senior, you know well,” added Suresh Kalmadi, president, IOA.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Delhi from October 3-14, 2010. This will be the largest multi-sport event conducted till date in Delhi and India generally, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.

Source: http://www.newspostonline.com/sports/ioa-signs-mou-with-kerala-olympic-association-for-2010-national-games-2008110712762

Shooting star Deepika eyeing Commonwealth Games

PUNE: After striking gold in the 10 metres air-pistol event in the Youth Commonwealth Games, Deepika Patel has now set her sights on the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

With just two years left for the big event, the 17-year-old from Varanasi feels her performance in Pune will help her graduate to a higher level and will be shooting alongside her idol Anjali Bhagwat.

"The gold will boost my career. Now I will start preparing for the Commonwealth Games. But my ultimate dream is to represent India at the Olympics and I will give my best to be at the London Games in 2012," a calm and composed Deepika said.

For the last five years Deepika has been balancing her shooting and studies. She is now in the 12th standard and wants to concentrate fully on shooting once her board exams are over.

"This year is very crucial for me. It is tough to manage between school and practice, but my teachers are very cooperative. I have not much time left for my board exams. Now I will concentrate on my studies and take up shooting after the boards," she said.

She attributes her success to her parents and coach.

"I feel blessed. My coach SP Bhattacharya, my entire family and the District Rifle club Varanasi taught me small things and I am successful today because of their help," said the teenager.

Like Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, Deepika's father Mahesh has built a 10 metres personal shooting range for her on the terrace of their house in Varanasi.

"The range was the best gift I got from my father. I don't have to depend on anyone for training. This sport involves a lot of mental training and my coach helps me with it. I do a little bit of yoga but, mostly it is positive thinking which keeps me going," she added.

Her father Mahesh, who runs a handloom mill in Varanasi, introduced Deepika to shooting at the age of eight.

"We are a big joint family, I have one boy and two girls, Deepika is the eldest. I had always dreamt big for my kids. After India's ace shooter Jaspal Rana shot to fame I decided my kids will follow suit," he said.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3676109.cms?TOI_Sports_mostread

Delhi's dream airport on fast track

Delhiites for long have been promised a new airport, a world class facility that will more than make up for years of dripping ceilings and long queues they have faced. An airport that will become the face of Delhi when Commonwealth Games are held here in 2010. Over 25,000 people have been toiling ceaselessly for the past several months to turn this into reality. Most of them are faceless and, probably, will have little stake in the airport they are building. The project was awarded to GMR-led Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) in 2006. DIAL is developing the project in collaboration with Fraport, Eraman Malaysia, Airports Authority of India and India Development Fund. The Operations, Management and Development Agreement was signed in April 2006. USbased Brinckerhoff International Inc was appointed project management consultants and L&T was given design and construction. The foundation stone for the new i n t e g r at e d terminal, or T3 as it is better known, was laid on February 17, 2007. Work for the airport, with a capacity of 37 million passengers per year, has to be completed in 37 months, that is by March 2010. When the new integrated terminal is ready, the entire passenger capacity of the airport will be a whopping 60 million passengers per annum, sufficient till 2019. The new runway, which will take the flight-handling capacity of the airport to 65-70 flights per hour as against the present 35 per hour, is already ready. At the site, 22,000 labourers, mostly from Bihar, West Bengal and UP, supervised by 1,665 personnel from DIAL, consultants from Parsons Brinckerhoff and L&T , have been working round the clock to build an airport that will rival some of the best in the world, including the Hong Kong airport. Anil Dhawan, vice-president , construction, DIAL, says that about 200 skilled workers from abroad have been brought in to work along with the local labour, and by next year, a total of 1,000 such workers, mostly from the Middle East, would be working at T3. A whopping 20,000 w o rk e r s have been staying on site, with their families, to ensure that work is carried out uninterrupted, 24x7. Phua Chai Teck, vice-president , airport planning and development , told Times City, that the entire planning for the project took only six months though the norm is about a year for similar projects. ‘‘ The reason why we will be able to complete our work in the stipulated time is because all our work is happening simultaneously. We started construction even as planning was underway and tried to take forward all our work together. We have been able to stick to our original plans with very minor changes,’’ revealed I Prabhakar Rao, CEO, airport development. Transporting the huge quantity of material for the project was quite a task. About 500 trucks are coming to the site daily with supplies . Bitumen is being sourced from Panipat and Mathura. Other material and machines were brought in from various countries , including granite from Saudi Arabia, machines from Germany and cranes from Italy. The new runway used 1.65 lakh tonnes of cement which was sourced from 15 different suppliers! While the deadline may seem very close, officials are confident that work will be completed well in time. ‘‘ A lot of work is already over. The basic structure of the new terminal is in place and we have a sufficiently trained work force to ensure there are no hiccups ,’’ said Rao.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Airlines__Aviation/Delhis_dream_airport_on_fast_track/articleshow/3525612.cms#

Flintshire athletes to compete in junior Commonwealth Games

Published Date: 25 September 2008 TWO of Flintshire's future sporting champions will put their skills to the test after winning a place in the Wales team to take on Commonwealth opposition.
Matthew James, 18, of Sychdyn, and Thomas Allen, of Hope, Flintshire, have been selected to represent Wales in the Commonwealth Youth Games, which will be held in the Indian city of Pune.Matthew, a tennis player and Thomas, a swimmer, will join a 37-strong team of young Welsh athletes travelling to India for the games, which begin on October 13.Matthew, who has been a keen tennis player since he was seven, said he is delighted to have been selected after devoting most of his time over the last two years to improving his skills.He said: "I have spent a lot of time training and have played all over the world in junior tournaments."Since leaving school, I have done bits of home tutoring here and there but have dedicated most of my time to keeping up with my tennis."My junior ranking was high enough this year for me to be selected and I am really pleased to be given this opportunity."The success of the athletes from Wales at the Beijing Olympics has been a real boost to me too, and I can't wait to get to Pune to compete."In total, 71 countries will be competing and many of the athletes of the future will be taking part.Thomas, a dedicated swimmer, said: "I'm really pleased to have been selected for the team and to be given the opportunity to represent my country."I'm really looking forward to the experience and will be working hard over the next weeks with final preparations for the games."Chris Jenkins, Commonwealth Games Council for Wales director, said: "The Commonwealth Youth Games are very important for young athletes, as it gives them invaluable experience of competing on an international stage."Many of the athletes taking part in the Youth Games will be strong candidates for Delhi 2010 and beyond for London in 2012."
The full article contains 348 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

Tourist transporters seek sops for Commonwealth Games 2010

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) A leading association of tourist transporters Wednesday sought active cooperation from the government in providing better transport facility for visitors to the city during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
‘The government at the centre and in the state should extend all possible help to tourist transporters to ensure visitors coming to Delhi for the event do not face any hardship,’ said Indian Tourist Transporters Association (ITTA).
Delhi’s Commonwealth Games 2010 are scheduled to start Oct 3, 2010.
‘Looking at the magnitude of the event, there is a need for coordinated efforts from all the stakeholders to make the Commonwealth Games a stupendous success,’ ITTA president Sarabjit Singh told reporters here.
He said ITTA’s city-based members have over 7,500 tourist vehicles, including around 300 luxury coaches.
‘The organising committee for the Games should decide on the type of vehicles required and suited for the event and prospective users. Accordingly, we will work out our fleet building strategy,’ he said.
Singh also sought incentives like tax exemption for the tourist transporters to help them upgrade their fleet.
‘The tourist transport operators should be allowed duty-free import of luxury vehicles, and should be given exemption from excise duty and value added tax on the purchase of vehicles within India,’ said Singh.

Source: http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/23258.htm

64 Archers to be provided training for commonwealth games

The Sports Ministry has decided to provide state of art training and exposure both at domestic and international levels to 64 Archers for preparing them for the world class performance. Under the Scheme for “Preparation of Indian Teams for Commonwealth Games, 2010, the Steering Committee has approved the names of 39 Archers so far, for their inclusion in the “Core Group” of sportspersons . In addition, three Indian and one Foreign Coaches have also been identified in consultations with Archery Association of India (AAI).
The following names of sportspersons were approved for their inclusion in the Core Group under the Scheme:Under the Scheme, training is to be provided 32 Archers each in men & women category . It also makes provision for appointment of 12 Indian and 2 Foreign coaches. AAI has been asked to furnish the more names to fill all slots .

The Steering Committee constituted by the Government under the Scheme, has also directed the AAI to submit without delay the names of supporting personnel such as Sports Analyst, Doctor , Physiotherapist, Masseur and Masseuse as per the Scheme for its approval. As required under the Scheme, the Steering Committee has also directed to AAI to prepare in consultation with Sports Authority of India (SAI) the Annual Calendar of Training & Competitions (ACTC) for imparting training of 305 days in a year for the period from August 2008 to 31st March 2009. During the meeting, the AAI informed the Committee that Sports Authority of India Centre, Kolkatta, Tata Sports Academy, Jamshedpur and Army Sports Centre, Pune have been identified as centres for imparting training to the Core Group of sportspersons. For providing infrastructural and equipment support, the Committee has asked the AAI to submit their requirements, if any.
With an objective to enhance transparency and placing all information relating to the Scheme in public domain, the Committee has also emphasized the AAI , the need to develop a comprehensive website which should inter-alia contain the names, profiles of players, compilation of various facilities for the sports available country-wide (indicating levels of such facilities and under whose control/jurisdiction) and also names, Profiles, levels of Coaches, Supporting Personnel of the Sport available, Sports equipment necessary for that sport, list of suppliers in India and abroad, training facilities available overseas, list of major competitions / tournaments in India and abroad, details of the National Federation (with names of office bearer and their telephone numbers etc.), International Federation etc. The Committee directed the AAI to start the website within two months and communicate to it.
Dr. M S Gill, the Union Sports Minister directed the Steering Committee constituted under the Scheme to complete the process of identification of Core Group of Sportspersons and supporting personnel in respect of all disciplines in consultation with federations at the earliest so as to fully operationalise the Scheme expeditiously. He called for feedback from the stakeholders including players about Core sportspersons and coaches selected under the Scheme and said that the Ministry will look into the feedback seriously and take appropriate action.
It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet on 12th June, 2008 gave its approval for a Scheme titled “Preparation of Indian Team for Commonwealth Games, 2010, with an outlay of Rs. 678.00 crore for three years starting from 2008-09. The objectives of the Scheme are as follows:
To improve India’s competitiveness in international sports and to enhance the medals tally in major international events particularly the Commonwealth Youth Games, 2008 and Commonwealth Games, 2010;
To institutionalize a system for preparation of elite sportspersons for prestigious international competitive events which would inter-alia, also include qualifying championships for major international events;
To improve state of art training and better competitive opportunities to elite sportspersons / medal prospects; and
To develop a system of selection of sportspersons based on performance monitoring in the run upto the international event.
The Scheme aims to impart state of the art training to our sportspersons (medal probables) both in India and abroad with adequate sports sciences back up, with the objective of maximizing Indian medals’ tally in the Commonwealth Games, 2010.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=43057

State-of-the-art training for 150 shooters for 2010 CWG

NEW DELHI: The Sports Ministry today decided to provide state-of-the-art training and exposure, both at domestic and international levels, to 150 shooters keeping in mind the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Under the scheme for "Preparation of Indian Teams for Commonwealth Games, 2010", the Steering Committee has approved the names of 63 shooters (35 Men and 28 Women) so far, for their inclusion in the "Core Group" of sportspersons. In addition, National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has been asked to submit the panel of 15 Indian and 4 Foreign coaches earmarked for shooting discipline to the Steering Committee for its approval at the next meeting. Among those identified so far to form the Core Group include Abhinav Bindra, Anjali Bhagwat, Gagan Narang, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, Sanjeev Rajput, Tejaswini Sawant, P T Raghunath, Suma Shirur, Samaresh Jung, Anuja Jung, RVS Rathor, Moraad Ali Khan and Manavjit Singh Sandhu. Under the scheme, training is to be provided to 100 men and 50 women shooters. NRAI has been asked to furnish more names to fill all slots. The Steering Committee constituted by the Government under the scheme, has also directed the NRAI to submit without delay the names of support staff, such as a sports Analyst, and three mental trainers or psychologists for its approval. Sports Minister M S Gill had directed the Steering Committee to complete the process of identification of core group of sportspersons and support staff in respect of all disciplines in consultation with national federations at the earliest to fully operationalise the scheme expeditiously. The Cabinet on June 12, 2008 gave its approval for a scheme titled "Preparation of Indian Team for Commonwealth Games, 2010", with an outlay of Rs 678.00 crore for three years starting from 2008-09.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/State-of-the-art_training_for_150_shooters_for_2010_CWG/articleshow/3526872.cms#