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Construction work refuses to get over

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Commonwealth Games, deadlines for completion of key projects continue to be pushed further with Delhi government saying that some works would drag on even till October 3 -- the day the mega sporting event begins.

Top officials admitted that some of the key projects including the all-important Barapullah Nallah elevated road project linking Games village with Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue of the event, will not be completed even before the September 15 deadline set by chief minister Sheila Dikshit late last month.

In July, Dikshit had set August 31 as the final deadline for completing all the Games projects but extended it till September 15 following incessant rains.

"We will finish everything before commencement of the event," Principal Secretary to Chief Minister P K Tripathi told a press conference.

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Help sought from Army to prevent breeding of mosquitoes at CWG site

Amid concerns over the dengue outbreak in the capital ahead of Commonwealth Games, civic authorities have sought the help of army engineering personnel to prevent mosquito breeding near the athletes' village.

The Games Village is surrounded by pools of water from three sides, making it quite conducive for breeding of mosquitoes and the MCD staff are finding it difficult to tackle the situation, officials said.
The cases of the vector-borne disease has crossed 1500 in the capital this season and the civic bodies are blaming incessant rains and stagnation of water at Games construction sites for the rapid increase in cases of dengue.
Over 20 participating nations has sought information from the Games Organising Committee about the dengue outbreak in the city and steps being taken to combat it before the mega sporting event in early October.

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Commonwealth Games 2010 (Unofficial) Trailor: A glimpse of the things we'll see

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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World swimming, diving champs have no security fears ahead of CWG

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Britain's world diving champion Tom Daley has said that he has no security fears ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which kicks off on October 3.

Sixteen-year-old Daley, who will be one of England's most high-profile participants, believes the England team's security plans will ensure his safety and that the necessary arrangements have been made.

"I'm not really too worried about security, to be honest, because I know that I'm going to be able to trust Team England. I also know that I'm going to be able to trust the organisers of the Games to provide adequate Village security," the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

Daley, whose place in the England team for the 2010 Delhi Games was under threat following an injury on his triceps last month, is due to make a return to the 10m platform at the World Youth Diving Championships in Arizona next week.

Meanwhile, Australia's triple Olympic Leisel Jones said in Sydney on Friday that she has no security or health concerns about competing at Commonwealth Games next month.

"India's going to be a great country, it's going to be full of colour, people go there on holiday all the time and really enjoy it and I think we're going to have a really great time. I think it is going to put on a great show, with great colours and awesome food," the Australian media reported Jones as saying at the unveiling of the team's formal uniform in Melbourne.

The 25-year-old, who has seven Commonwealth Games gold and as many World championship gold, will be defending her Commonwealth 100m and 200m breaststroke crowns at the Games.

She said that she was satisfied with the security information provided by Australian Government and team officials.

"You can live in Melbourne and incidents can happen, you're not truly safe from anything," she said. "I'm not concerned at all at this point, we've had a lot of briefings with a lot of information about what's been happening and we've only heard good things," said Jones.

"The Australian Government obviously will be looking after us to the nth degree and I have all my faith in everyone," she added.

On reports that the 2010 Games venues are still not ready, Jones said: "I'm not terribly concerned, I think they will get it together. Sydney was very prepared for their (2000) Olympics, but I think other countries take it differently to what we do."

"I kind of like their relaxed nature, they take it as it comes and they'll get it done, I'm sure they will," she added.

Jones further said the Australian team always took precautions with their water supply.

"You've just got to be really careful. Growing up in (Australia's) Northern Territory can be pretty scary as well and going to Africa, there was yellow fever, but you get vaccinations and you're careful about the water you drink," she said.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games is India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.

India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.

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India’s badminton star regrets her comments about the country’s ability to host the games.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

India's badminton star Saina Nehwal says she regrets saying that the country was not yet ready to host mega sporting events like the Commonwealth Games.

"Looking at the stadiums and progress I don't really think we are capable of holding such big tournaments," said Saina, who is a brand ambassador of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

"I have seen many Games like Melbourne Commonwealth Games and Olympics in China. Compared to that, it is not up to the mark. But I am sure (that) before Oct 3, it will be ready and people will like it."

Within minutes the World Number 3 realised that she had committed a faux pas and, in a phone-in to television channels, apologised for her shocking statement.

"I am sorry for whatever I said. I did not mean it. The Commonwealth Games will be a huge success.

"I want to do well in front of my home crowd. I am very proud that the Commonwealth Games are being held in India. I am a little disappointed after making these comments. It is not right on my part to say it as lots of people follow me," she said.

"The players are all preparing hard and have done well in major international events in the run-up to the Games. The archers won a gold in the World Cup. It is a good sign. We will see a lot of sportspersons winning medals for India." Added Saina

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Delhi loses patience with Commonwealth Games

Friday, September 3, 2010

It was meant to be Delhi's moment of glory.

By staging the Commonwealth Games successfully in its capital, India wanted to announce to the world that it was an emerging superpower.

But the run-up to the Games has been a huge public relations disaster.

Delhi was told it would be "world-class" by 2010.

But the Games start in just over a month and the city is nowhere near ready.

Deadlines missed

The Games village where athletes and officials are going to stay still needs lots of work.

Many of the stadiums are still being renovated. At least one - Central Vista, which was to be the venue for archery - is no longer a venue because the authorities admitted it would not be ready in time.

Even ticket sales have been delayed.

And the city looks as if it has been bashed up physically - many roads are dug up, others have massive craters and potholes.

Pavements - which were broken up with the promise that new ones would be laid soon - are still unwalkable.

Chief Minister Sheila Dixit (left) is now seeking divine intervention

In many areas, shops, restaurants and businesses complain they are losing out on trade.

And unusually heavy monsoon rains have further delayed the work, adding to the misery.

The deadline for Delhi to be Games-ready was initially 31 March. After several extensions - first to 30 June, then to 31 July, then 31 August - it is now mid-September.

The authorities, however, insist that the Games will be a resounding success and everything will be in place when the curtain goes up on 3 October.

But as deadline after deadline falls by the wayside, people in Delhi seem to be losing patience.

"The Games were awarded in 2003, so work should have been completed by 2008. That would have given them two years to test the facilities," says Delhi-based architect and author Gautam Bhatia.

"Anywhere else, even a delay of a day or two would have been taken seriously, but I'm quite amazed by the casual attitude of the officials here."

Worth it?

A whopping $2.35bn (£1.5bn) is being spent on the Games but the city has been "a dismal showcase" for it, he says.

"The quality of a lot of the work is second-rate. Millions of dollars have been spent on each stadium, but if you look at the quality and the workmanship, you wonder whether it's worth it.

"We have to see the amount we spent and what we got for it," he says.

Many projects are way behind schedule

The answer to that many would say is - not much.

Each day brings with it fresh reports of corruption and problems at newly-renovated stadiums and other sports facilities.

Recent floods at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium damaged parts of the athletics track, sending workers scurrying back in to fix it.

"What are we getting for the cost?" asks Rajesh Kalra, editor-in-chief of the Times of India website.

"Leaking roofs, shoddy finish, already crumbling concrete, faulty drainage, inferior seats and inadequate lighting that needs to be changed to allow for high-definition telecast."

Mr Kalra says the taxpayer is being defrauded in the name of the Games: "What should have cost X is costing 10X, and what should last years will last a fraction."

'National shame'

There appears little popular support for the Games. Some have even called for the event to be abandoned.

"The goal of portraying Delhi as a world-class city and an international sports destination has led the Indian government to lose sight of its priorities and legal and moral commitments to its people," says Miloon Kothari, former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, who heads a group called the Housing and Land Rights Network.

A recent report by his group says the high expenses of the Games are likely to create "a negative financial legacy for the country".

The Games budget has risen from an initial projection of $405m to $2.35bn today. Experts say when the final expenses on infrastructure, security and other projects are tallied it will be much more, perhaps as high as $15bn.

Mr Kothari wants the Games to be called off

Mr Kothari questions the rationale behind spending so much money on a one-off sporting event.

"When one in three Indians lives below the poverty line and 40% of the hungry live in India, when 46% of India's children and 55% of women are malnourished, does spending billions of dollars on a 12-day sports event build national pride or is it a matter of national shame?" he asks.

The Games were meant to instil a sense of pride in Delhi, but many fed-up citizens are threatening to leave the city or take no part in the event.

Even former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar says the Games are "evil" and he is "getting the hell out of the country" to avoid them.

College student Aditya Narayan says the event is a "sham" and blames Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit.

"She said it would be the best the world has seen. But she has made a joke of our country."

With time fast running out, Mrs Dixit is seeking divine intervention.

"It appears that Lord Indra [the rain god] is unhappy with us," she said at the weekend.

"I will appeal to him to bring some sunshine. If the rain stops and sun comes out, we will be able to complete the work by 10-15 September. Otherwise we will have to extend the deadline.

"By the grace of god, we will be able to finish everything by 3 October."

If that does not happen, Delhi and India could be facing major embarrassment.

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk

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Vuvuzelas to add to international flavour at Commonwealth Games

Thursday, September 2, 2010


It added an extra buzz to the FIFA World Cup earlier this year and now the mighty Vuvuzela is all set to make a debut in India. The Vuvuzela is part of the official Commonwealth Games merchandise, which was finally launched on Thursday after a two-month delay. On the first day of the launch, Organising committee officials claimed they had been able to sell Rs 1 lakh worth of merchandise from the inaugural outlet at the OC headquarters. The collective sound of Vuvuzelas being blown at the stands-the drone resembling the buzz of a thousand bees - was banned at sporting events Wimbledon for its noise value.

Even at FIFA World Cup, superstar footballers like Christiano Ronaldo had reportedly complained that it distracted them on the pitch. But Premier Brands, the official merchandising partner of the Games, said the Vuvuzelas will not be a problem in India.

"In India we are used to enjoying sports with a lot of noise such as a celebration. We cannot be compared with European sports fans," said Suresh Kumar, chairman of Premiere Brands. The OC is also planning to request the Delhi Police to allow it to pass through spectator security at stadiums. Wrapped in the tricolours, the Vuvuzela would be sold at all merchandising outlets for Rs 150.

The OC is also in the process of tying up with Delhi's malls so that the items can be sold at the open spaces of malls and such counters, said an official. Initially, two vans carrying the merchandise will visit schools in the city and offer 10 per cent discount to students.

The merchandising contract has been mired in controversy after Premiere Brands pulled out of the deal a few weeks but it reinstated the deal some days ago.

The OC stands to lose revenue as delay has eaten into the sales time for these items. The products will also be made available through four 'Shops on Wheels'. These moving boutiques will visit schools, corporate offices, major residential societies, shopping areas and other public places to interact with people through Shera. The 'Shop on Wheels' will also accompany the Queen Baton Relay for Delhi 2010 to make merchandising available across country. In addition, the products will also be available for online sales. The products cost between Rs 25 and Rs 300.

Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com

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Commonwealth Games hosts India face doping shame

Four Indian wrestlers and a shot-putter were suspended from next month's Commonwealth Games on home soil after failing drug tests, officials said on Friday.

All five tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant used widely as a nasal decongestant, according to Rahul Bhatnagar, who heads the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

Three male wrestlers, Rajiv Tomar, Sumit Kumar and Masuam Khatri, female wrestler Gursharanpreet Kaur and male shot-putter Saurav Vij were suspended pending tests of their "B" samples.

 

They were all thrown out of the national squads for the Commonwealth Games which begin in the Indian capital New Delhi on October 3.

Two other wrestlers and an athlete, who were not part of the Games squad, also tested positive, Bhatnagar said.

"It is unfortunate these failed tests came just before the Games," Bhatnagar said. "But we have a no-tolerance policy towards that. They can get their 'B' tests done if they want."

Wrestling and athletics officials said the tests were done during pre-Games trials and camps and were hoping to name replacements in the respective squads.

Doping has afflicted Indian sport over the last decade with weightlifters being the chief culprits.

The Indian weightlifting federation was fined 500,000 dollars by the world governing body after six lifters failed dope tests last year.

The federation managed to pay only 125,000 dollars and were forced to take an interest-free loan from Games organisers to pay the rest of the fine and ensure their participation in Delhi 2010.

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Frenetic rush as India prepares for Commonwealth Games

Mohammed Zaidi works with a jumble of cables in one of the apartments built at breakneck speed for athletes who will compete at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in one month's time.

"We're almost there," the electrician says at the Games Village, which offers 4,000 bedrooms in about 1,000 apartments on a new site beside the Yamuna river.

The village is a hive of activity, with swarms of workers and engineers sprucing up the 157-acre (635-hectare) complex ahead of the opening ceremony on October 3. The first athletes are expected to move in within weeks.

"It'll be a home away from home as athletes and officials will find everything a person may need -- from a toothbrush upwards," Ashok Kapur, chief complex administrator said.


Besides the air-conditioned apartments, the village has a 2,300-seater dining hall which will dish out 22,000 meals a day, a large training zone and an Olympic-sized pool.

"The menu will contain cuisines to meet religious and nutritional needs of all the athletes," a catering official said, though he confirmed no beef would be served, in line with Hindu religious beliefs.

The village also boasts a discotheque, open-air cinema, multi-faith shrines and a bus depot, which promises glitch-free travel to 12 Games venues along special lanes to cut through New Delhi's choked traffic.

The apartments, which will be sold to private owners after the Games, appear in good shape but their muggy, riverside location has concerned some athletes.

The Press Trust of India said on Thursday that 24 of 71 participating nations and territories had sought assurances after more than 1,000 cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever were diagnosed in the city.

"There is nothing to worry as all measures are being taken to contain the outbreak," Delhi 2010 secretary-general Lalit Bhanot said this week.

But the list of other worries facing organisers is long: among them are building delays, untested facilities, public apathy, rocketing costs, corruption allegations and security fears.

Much of the capital still resembles a construction site, with dug-up roads, unfinished flyovers and rubble-strewn sidewalks.

Frantic efforts are ongoing to finish new metro stations and to repair stadiums and landscaping damaged by the heaviest monsoon rains in 15 years.

"If there is more rains, schedules might get disrupted. We are worried," Sports Minister M.S. Gill said on Wednesday.

Serious concern about whether venues will be able to meet international standards has focused on the athletics stadium, the swimming pool and the weightlifting arena.But staff at some smaller sites are optimistic.

Carmal Wright, an Australian consultant, has lived in Delhi for a year supervising the 5,000-seater, 66-million-dollar netball venue where 12 teams will compete in the all-women tournament.

"It will be a world class event," she said during a site visit.



Source :
www.ndtv.com

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India’s Commonwealth Games organizers remain upbeat despite host of problems

The lead organizers of next month's Commonwealth Games want to make one thing perfectly clear: New Delhi will host the best Games ever.

Except, contrary to earlier reports, they do not expect to surpass the Beijing Olympics. Nor will it be easy to beat the 2006 Games in Melbourne, Australia, which planners tried to emulate.

"We're trying to at least reach up to Melbourne standards, which is quite a task," said Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing committee, chuckling ruefully.

It was a rare moment of humility for the chief planner, who has otherwise remained boldly optimistic in the face of corruption scandals and missed deadlines. With only a month remaining before the opening ceremonies, polls have found a majority of city residents worrying that poor handling of the Games will hurt the country's reputation.

When India won the Games, defeating a bid from Hamilton, the project was envisioned as a showcase for the country's rising power, and a springboard for a future Olympic bid.

Now, the opposite seems likely. Local newspapers quoted Mr. Kalmadi last week saying the Games would rival the Olympic spectacle mounted by China, and the comment became one of the country's most widely circulated items on Twitter, as users mocked the gap between the chairman's ambitious words and the muddy scenes of unfinished construction around the city. One user tweeted: "Suresh Kalmadi is fast turning into public enemy number one." Some observers have already called for his resignation.

For a man facing such criticism, Mr. Kalmadi appeared relaxed and jovial at a meeting with foreign journalists Thursday. He brushed off the earlier comment about China as a misquote, saying he only suggested that the athletes village in Delhi would rival the one in Beijing. "It's a Commonwealth Games. How can it surpass an Olympics?" he said.

He also joked about the possibility of the lingering monsoon rains affecting the opening ceremonies in an uncovered stadium – "Plan B is raincoats," he said – and even made light of the heart-wrenching poverty that foreign guests will see on the streets.

When asked whether he would advise the athletes to offer money to the swarms of child beggars who linger at intersections, tapping on the car windows in search of a handout, Mr. Kalmadi shrugged. "I wouldn't advise it," he said, "because then they will get surrounded."

But the organizer turned serious when making his argument that the Games would be pulled off successfully, despite the problems.

"There is a feeling that a developing country can't do it," he said.

"We will show the world we can."

This runs against the consensus in India's media. A columnist in the Hindustan Times, a major daily, concluded last month: "I think we can all agree that there is little hope that the Commonwealth Games will be a global advertisement for India."

Mr. Kalmadi urged the foreign press corps not to pay attention to the onslaught of negative reports from local journalists, however. He asserted that more athletes will attend these Commonwealth Games than any previous such events, and argued that all venues are finished except for cosmetic touches. Organizers are taking precautions against the full range of threats, he said, from the closed-circuit television cameras watching for terrorists, to the teams of insecticide sprayers hunting mosquitoes that spread dengue fever.

Lalit Bhanot, secretary-general of the organizing committee, concluded: "We are fully geared up to have the best-ever Games."

Source : www.theglobeandmail.com

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