Things will go wrong: Games Federation

Smh.com.au, 15 Sept 2010: The Commonwealth Games Federation is braced for things to go wrong at the Delhi Games. But the federation's chief executive Mike Hooper says unprecedented security will ensure a safe Games. Despite widespread problems in the build-up to the October 3-14 Games in the Indian capital, Hooper is adamant security won't be an issue. About 80,000 Delhi police have been bolstered by 17,500 paramilitary and 3000 elite commandos in measures Hooper on Wednesday denied would be oppressive for Games athletes and spectators. Some 2000 CCTV cameras had also been installed around Games sites in a four-layered security operation which Hooper said was of paramount importance. "What else can we ask them to do," Hooper told AAP of India's security preparations. "I honestly do, hand on heart, believe that we will have a safe and secure environment in and around the Games venues. "I wouldn't call it oppressive but it's going to be effective. "From everything I have known from living here for three years, coming here for seven years, there is certainly no diminution of the commitment given by the government of India and the Delhi government and Delhi police to deliver a safe and secure environment. "And I believe they will do that. "Now if that means someone is inconvenienced to get access to a venue, so be it - you're inconvenienced, you have to accept that, it's the same with the Olympic Games, people accept it. "Security is of paramount importance and we cannot compromise and I don't believe anyone is compromising." Delays in completing venues has naturally translated to reduced time to prepare inside them, raising concerns the Games could be hit by operational glitches. Hooper would speculate on that but did acknowledge there would undoubtedly be some problems with the Delhi Games. "There will be issues, there were issues in Melbourne (in 2006) ... things do happen, it's making sure you have the mechanism in place to put it right," he said. "Of course there are going to be issues, there are issues at every Games." 

Games organisers had a tiered management system ready to deal with any issues, he said. Of primary concern in the lead-in to the Games was the delay in Indian officials certifying venues as safe - the deadline was nine months ago, the verification happened nine days ago. "It hasn't been helpful, Hooper said. "We should have had the venues long ago, we should have had access to the venues, the Delhi police should have had access to the venues - it didn't happen but there is no point panicking or pointing fingers. "... Quite rightly it was a major concern because we needed to reassure our members that all the regulatory approvals had been properly obtained and followed through. "For practical purposes the venues have been finished, but what is not finished is the landscaping, the roads to some of the venues, the tidying up, the final touches. "Even if it wasn't done, it still for practical purposes is a useable venue - it just wouldn't look pretty." Hooper has been impressing on Games organisers to focus on issues that matter for athletes. They included the athletes village, which officially opens Thursday; transport; security and; smooth running of the actual sporting events. "If you get those sorts of key issues right, then I think we have got a very good chance of the athletes at the end of the Games looking back and saying 'we had a great time'," he said. "That is the target, that is the objective - the Games are for the athletes of the commonwealth."
Source: Sydney Morning Herald

More Metro trains, foreign engineers during Games

New Delhi, 15 Sept 2010 : With well chalked out plans in place, the Delhi Metro is all set to handle additional rush of commuters during the Commonwealth Games. In an effort to decongest the network and ensure efficient service, it will run trains at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes. The DMRC has also flown in expert teams of engineers from Germany and South Korea to attend to any technical snags during the Games. DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan said: “The Games is a matter of national pride and we will ensure smooth services. We are fully geared up to meet the requirements during the event and wish to see that every visitor who comes to Delhi and takes a ride on the Metro goes back with pleasant memories.” Launching a new interactive official website, he added: “We expect heavy pressure on Delhi Metro during the Games as it is an important public transport system in the Capital. We will place all 181 trains of the Metro fleet on the tracks during the event.” With all the 11 prominent Games venues connected by Metro and a huge rush expected during the event, the entire fleet of 181 trains — 133 broad gauge and 48 standard gauge — will be pressed into service with trains running at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes. At present, the frequency is 3.5 to 4 minutes. Central Secretariat to Badarpur corridor will have the highest frequency as it connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies. 

In an effort to promptly attend to technical glitches, experts are being flown in specifically for the Games. “The problems occur either on Over Head Electrification (OHE), or on trains or due to signalling problems. We will deploy special technicians from Germany and Korea across the network,” Sreedharan said. “That apart all stations will have information desks to help commuters and give information related to Metro services and the Games.” The DMRC, which is in the process of revamping the signalling and OHE systems for the Games, has also launched a campaign to keep the stations clean. The station premises have been given out to the Organising Committee to conduct promotional activities for the Games at no extra cost, Sreedharan said. Sreedharan said the last two upcoming lines of Phase II — Central Secretariat to Badarpur and Airport Metro Express Line — will meet its Games deadline and will be thrown open to the public by September 30. You can check out the official website of Delhi Metro here : http://www.delhimetrorail.com/
Source: Indian Express

Brian Rudman: Games' obscene costs must stop

NZHerald, 15 Sept 2010: The Queen has already decided to give the New Delhi Commonwealth Games a miss. And she has a pretty good excuse. At age 84, the last thing she needs is a dose of "Delhi belly" or Dengue fever. But what's this we read about the fittest and healthiest of athletes from the senior "white" nations of the Commonwealth wimping out because the shower fittings in the Games village aren't up to luxury hotel standards and nasty insects might bite them? Is this the spirit that painted a quarter of the globe red and created an empire on which the sun never set? Jesting aside, if the sports bosses from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom do recommend that the white Commonwealth stay home, more than just the Games are at stake. With the Queen and the Games being the only two glues holding this anachronistic collection of nations together, a walk-out by the old colonial master race, leading to the collapse of the Delhi Games, is likely to accelerate the unraveling of the whole post-imperial charade. 

And while harboring a certain nostalgic attachment to the club, if its demise were to hasten the day we cut the imperial apron strings and declared New Zealand a republic, then I'm certain I could get over the loss. The other positive if the Delhi Games were to collapse, overwhelmed by corruption, hubris and over-spending, is it might bring to an end the insane "arms race" between nationalist politicians who compete to build grander and grander temporary sporting megacities that end up beggaring their people for years to come. In Auckland recently, mayoral candidate John Banks fantasized about holding the Olympics here in 2020. Thankfully, he was laughed off the stage. So far, New Zealanders have got off relatively lightly regarding these sorts of flights of fancy. The bill for next year's Rugby World Cup is said to be a little north of $500 million. A bargain - if you ignore the population differences - compared with India's bill. The cost of the upcoming Delhi Games is more than $8 billion, according to one of the country's top businessmen, Azim Premji. In a Times of India article, the chairman of the giant Wipro software company denounced the cost, asking, "Is this drain on public funds for the greater common good?" He added: "Can we ignore this splurge the next time a malnourished child looks us in the eye?" The obscenity of this splurge is brought into sharp focus because of the abject poverty the Indian Government is trying to sweep out of sight and mind. But who wants to watch a glittering parade of athletes when we've seen live television reports of mobile courts, which pull up alongside a crippled beggar and drag her inside a converted courthouse on wheels, where a judge sits on a bench seat waiting to convict and imprison her for the duration of the Games, somewhere out of sight of the athletes and visitors.

 Earlier reports said 140,000 families were being evicted to make space for the lavish facilities being built for the games. Still, if the Indians can keep costs down to $8 billion that will be cheap, compared with the scandalous $12 billion bill that the impoverished people of South Africa now face following the soccer World Cup. King of the big spenders, though, was Beijing, which not only "sanitised" the city of the wrong sort of people before guests arrived for the 2008 Olympics but announced proudly its costs in the vicinity of $60 billion. But this figure also included four new subway lines, a high-speed rail link to a neighboring city and a vast new airport. Time after time, these sporting extravaganzas leave host cities and countries with a financial nightmare to cope with and a bunch of facilities they don't need. The 2004 Athens Games cost Greece nearly $20 billion - a huge debt burden - and left the city with 22 venues, most of which lie abandoned and unused. The citizens of Montreal finally paid off the last installment on their 1976 Olympics stadium this year. Nicknamed the "Big Owe", it ended up costing $2 billion and loses millions of dollars a year. New Zealand Commonwealth Games chief Dave Currie now says the old white Commonwealth "advance group" will report back from their inspection tour of New Delhi next week and will say "either it will be okay or we don't think this is viable". What isn't viable is the way sporting organisations and politicians alike continue to encourage and drive nations, rich and poor, into this crazy pattern of build, beggar and discard.
Source: NZHerald

Delhi dazzles like never before

New Delhi, 15 Sept 2010: Delhi is getting all dolled up for the Commonwealth Games and its doing so in style. From ornamental street furniture to fancy signages, civic agencies are pulling out all stops to make the Capital look uber-attractive. Elaborate decorative signages, bill boards and street art have sprouted throughout the city, ensuring visitors get a feel world-class cities such as Hong Kong and Sydney when they come calling during the Games. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Public Works Department (PWD) are installing street furniture on a number of roads. The beautification project will be completed by September 25. Right from information kiosks, luxury toilet complexes, modern street art, vending kiosks, aesthetically appealing foot over-bridges, and trendy streetlights have been put up across the city.

 “Street furniture has revolutionized the style and look of cities all over the world. The Games gave us a perfect opportunity to come up with a similar project in Delhi too. This will give a swanky look to the city ahead of the Commonwealth Games,” said Deep Mathur, director, press and information, the MCD. Most of the street furniture is being installed on the roads leading to the Commonwealth Games venues and stadiums. To ensure people do not damage the street furniture, the civic agency has used material which is scratch-free. “The material of all the street furniture being installed for the Games has been carefully selected to ensure that no one can leave scratches on it. Also, the surface has been made in such a manner that people will not be able to stick pamphlets or posters on it,” said a senior MCD official. The MCD has said while the street furniture being installed in the Capital is of international standards, it has been specially adapted to suit Indian taste. 

The street furniture being installed also includes signages and kiosks that will help tourists get information about the Capital. “We have set up a number of kiosks on several roads leading to the Games venues. These air-conditioned kiosks will have lists of hotels and restaurants in Delhi, Yellow Pages, geographical and road maps of Delhi, airlines information, and bus, Metro and rail information which will help the people coming to Delhi for the Games,” added the official.
Sourcs: HindustanTimes

Delhi organizers are optimistic

New Delhi, 15 Sept 2010: Like much of Delhi through Australian eyes, it was odd. Why conduct a media tour of the jewel of the Delhi Commonwealth Games - the main stadium - in the fading light of dusk? Particularly when the predictable monsoon rains were hammering down amid thunder and lightning. If nothing else, organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games are doing things their way. About 150 newsmen gathered at the prearranged time for the tour of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. Like many timeframes in Delhi, the agreed time wasn't actually the time at all - best call it nominal. After gathering, the group were instructed to wait in a room for another hour. The room was in the Delhi organising committee headquarters, among the tallest buildings in the sprawling city and the source of much pride in the Indian capital. Rifle-carrying troops guard the central city nine-floor building, not batting an eyelid as muscular monkeys cruise past and, like humans, take their chances crossing chaotic roads. Inside, as media waited, a mouse scampered through legs - like their army, the locals were oblivious, perhaps distracted by the offering of free tea. 

Finally summoned outside, the media contingent waded through puddles, bypassing police who simply take off their shoes and socks, roll their trousers up to their knees, and man their posts barefoot. Five crammed buses headed for the main stadium through rush-hour traffic, which offers proof of India's optimism - why else are there "Give Way" and "Horn Prohibited" signs? Travelling through traffic lights not blinking but staring blankly because they were turned off, past petrol stations selling fuel by the kilo, barely missing public buses resembling crumpled tins with human sardines - suddenly, the stadium appeared. 

Well, sort of. The top of the stadium grandstands were visible but in Delhi traffic, visible and obtainable, are different beasts. After travelling a centimetre a minute for quarter of an hour, Indian media became animated: the bus had taken a wrong turn, they said. "He doesn't know where to go," a reporter said. "What can you expect from the Commonwealth Games," replied another. So the driver took the only appropriate course of action: a sudden veer on to the wrong side of the road, a just as drastic right turn drawing a chorus of honks from aggrieved fellow motorists. And there we were - late, having missed the start of the tour, but there nonetheless. We pulled into the stadium confines, where curious workers peered from under their plastic tent homes - one man washed a spoon in a muddy pool of rain water, admired his work, then resumed eating. Walked through the artificial lawn bowling greens - Delhi will be the first Commonwealth Games contested by bowlers on synthetic turf - and into the stadium proper as a giant inflatable Raj hung from the roof. The Raj, as eye-catchingly impressive as the stadium at first glance, appeared spick and span. 

A second, closer, glance revealed what perhaps the giant Raj was meant to hide. Tradesmen were still at work; buckets of paint with brushes dangling expectantly in grandstands; uncovered electrical cords hanging here, there and everywhere; scaffolding waiting for use; windows partly smeared with a grubby sealant. On the arena, the track was more like a pool thanks to the rain; the infield covered like a gigantic cricket pitch in the wet. But like their traffic signs, they're optimistic, this Delhi organising committee. "We are very well organised ... and we will, God willing, stage a good Games," the committee's vice-chairman Randhir Singh said at the stadium. "Fortunately, we managed to complete all the work that had to be done before the rains - and it is only the furnishing things that have to happen." - AAP
Sourcs: NZHerald

Games' shopping festival to kick off on Sep 25 in Delhi

New Delhi, 14 Sept 2010: The Commonwealth Games Shopping Festival will commence Sep 25 across all main markets in Delhi. An initiative of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 Organising Committee and the Delhi Traders Association, the gala will be held till Oct 15. "We are delighted to announce this shopping festival as part of the festive spirit that is set to engulf the city as part of the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 (Oct 3-14). Our endeavour is to impart to every visitor an exciting and memorable experience during their stay in the city," CWG organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said in a statement. 

The shopping fest will be held across the city's popular markets like Greater Kailash, South Extension, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Connaught Place, Kamla Nagar, Ajmal Khan Road, Rajouri Garden and Chawri Bazar, to name a few. The markets will also be decorated and illuminated in order to induce the spirit of the Games and provide visitors with an insight to the cultural heritage of the country. 
"The traders of Delhi are eagerly looking forward to the festival and are delighted by this initiative of the organising committee to support us and make us actively participate in the celebrations surrounding the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010. We plan to provide customers with healthy discounts and attractive packages, and believe that Diwali bonanzas will come early even for local shoppers," Delhi Traders Association president Surinder Singh Dhir said.
Sourcs: NDTV

Delhi getting an unfair rap: bowls coach

New Delhi, 14 Sept 2010: Australian Richard Gayle reckons Delhi has unfairly copped a bad rap. The coach of India's lawn bowls team believes widespread criticism of the looming Commonwealth Games isn't justified. "There has been a lot of bad publicity in papers outside of India and it's a bit unwarranted," Gayle told AAP. Advertisement: Story continues below "The overall build-up is obviously slow, they have taken their time getting into stride, but things are starting to fall into place now." Gayle, who has lived in the Indian capital for the past 18 months, said security was unlikely to be a problem at the October 3-14 Games. "The security is the best I have seen," he said while standing at the synthetic turf lawn bowls venue for the Games. "We're not worried about it, we haven't had any trouble ... security is not going to be a problem. "But look, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, anything can happen - it could happen in Sydney or Melbourne, it could happen in Tokyo. "You can walk across the road and get run over by a car. "So the security is not the problem here, they have been very strict here with body searches and the checks - every time we come into the stadium they check us. "Even other events I have been too, boxing and a couple of others, you can't even take a pen in, security has been really, really tight." In typically forthright Australian fashion, Gayle also dismissed the dengue fever outbreak in Delhi - just slap on some Aeroguard, he said. "The dengue problem I think has been blown out of proportion," he said. "There is probably a little bit more publicity about it than there should be, but if people bring mosquito repellent then you're not going to have too much trouble." Neither was he fazed about Delhi belly.

 "The food is always going to be a problem for Australians, the viruses that go around - but you get viruses in Australia, you get viruses everywhere," Gayle said. "You have just got to put up with that." Of more concern to Gayle was his Indian lawn bowlers eclipsing Australian on the fake grass arena - the first time Commonwealth Games bowls medals will be decided on a synthetic surface. "There is a major dust problem here because of the construction site and they would never have been able to grow the grass ... and summer here gets up to 50 degrees so grass is going to find it very hard to survive," he said. "A lot of the Australian players have been friends of mine for years, so just because I'm playing Australia doesn't mean they're going to be winning. "My job here is to coach India to medals and hopefully we'll do that." -AAP
Source: Sydney Morning Herald

D-Day looms for Games decision

Nzherald.co.nz, 14 Sept 2010: September 23 is looming as D-Day for New Zealand's involvement in the crisis-torn Commonwealth Games. New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) chef de mission Dave Currie leaves for India today and will spend 10 days determining whether the New Delhi organising committee is capable of implementing its security plan, and whether the venues and village are ready to host the event. The Games, due to open on October 3, have been beset by problems, including a dengue fever outbreak, but the NZOC is preparing to attend. President Mike Stanley said the committee was sharing security and government intelligence with Australia, Canada, England and Wales, but it would make its own decision on whether NZ athletes should attend. "It's going to be a collective consultation and collaboration in all of this, but we are an independent body. We will make our decision based on that," Mr Stanley said. "Naturally, if you engage with a group of nations with a high level of expertise and who have got similar sorts of experience with the Games, obviously we'll take on board their view, but it's our decision." Mr Currie said the five-country approach would ensure nothing was left to chance in gauging Delhi's readiness. If the risk concerns escalated "and we haven't had feedback and response on them", then at that point it would be evident "this is not going to work". "Or, after seven or eight days, we've identified concerns [and] they've been addressed, [then] we've got a level of comfort that it is going to be okay. "We're feeding [information] back here to Mike Stanley and the board around the September 23 or 24. [It will either be] yes, it's fine, athletes can move from where they are around the world to come into Delhi, or no, we have a list of concerns a mile long and we don't think this is viable." As for the risk of athletes contracting the potentially lethal dengue fever, Mr Stanley said it was up to individuals to take responsibility for "their personal hygiene and care".
Source: Nzherald.co.nz

Games a rocking time for college bands

NEW DELHI, 13 Sept 2010: For fledgling rock bands looking to make a mark, this could be a golden opportunity. 
The Delhi government, as part of the series of celebrations planned for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010, is knocking on the doors of colleges in the Delhi University. The reason: it wants "young'' amateur rock bands to perform during the Delhi Games. Said Rina Ray, principal secretary (culture), "As part of Delhi Celebrates (the cultural programme that we will be running during the Games), we are planning to have music performances through various parts of the city. The theme in Central Park in Connaught Place will be a youth festival, and we would like good rock bands from colleges to showcase their music there.'' 

The concerts, which are scheduled to start from 6.30pm onwards, will take place every day from October 3 till the end of the Games. Officials say while some bands have already been finalised, more are expected to be taken on board soon. Admitted Ray, "It's not just college bands that we will perform at the Central Park but also bands from schools.'' These include schools like Vasant Valley and Sanskriti besides others as well as non-profit organisations that work with children like Deepalaya, the national association for the blind, etc, added officials. the government then planned to have college and school bands to perform, besides a host of other "fun'' activities that would take place during the fortnight. Central Park will not be the only location for all these cultural activities during the CWG. There are plans for "Delhi Celebrates'' to be run in several other locations like Qutub complex, Pitampura, the CWG Village as well as in Dwarka and Central Delhi.
Source: Times of India

First meals served at Commonwealth Games Village

NEW DELHI, 13 Sept 2010: The Khel Gram Kitchen at Commonwealth Games village today became operational as the first meals were served during breakfast. Commonwealth Games Organising Committee vice-chairman Randhir Singh accompanied by the Venue Administrator, Lt Gen (Retd) Ashok Vasudevan and other key team members joined the workforce for lunch at the Village. Expressing happiness over the nutritional quality of food served, Singh appreciated the facilities available in the kitchen, and the congenial atmosphere in which the workforce happily enjoyed their repast.

The caterer, Delaware North, has already tested the equipment and is all set to serve over 7000 athletes and team officials from 71 nations and territories. The soft opening of the Games Village will happen on September 16, while the formal opening is scheduled to be held on September 23 when the contingents start arriving in the capital.

Source: Webindia123

Soft opening of Games Village on Sept 16

NEW DELHI, 13 Sept 2010: The Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi today said that the soft opening of the Games Village will happen as scheduled on September 16. "Everything is in place and the Games Village is ready to welcome its residents," Organising Committee Secretary-General Dr. Lalit K Bhanot, said, adding "Its formal opening is scheduled to be held on September 23 when the contingents start arriving in Delhi." He said that there was no water or electricity problem in the residential zone/Games Village.

 "The state-of-the-art Village kitchen has been installed and started functioning in the Residential Zone in the Village," Dr. Bhanot said, adding that "The caterer, Delaware North, has already tested the equipment. The first meals will be served on Monday, September 13."  Dr. Bhanot said everything is in place for Delhi to stage the best Commonwealth Games. "Be it the Village or the competition venues, all facilities have been designed with the athlete in mind. We have worked to ensure that the athletes enjoy these and showcase their talent," he said.

Source: Economics Times

All Games venues ready: Lalit Bhanot

NEW DELHI, 9 Sept 2010: Allaying doubts about the readiness of the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games venues, Organising Committee (OC) secretary general Lalit Bhanot on Thursday said that all venues are ready. 

"International bodies (concerned) have certified that all venues are fit to host events," Bhanot said in an interaction with mediapersons on Thursday. "Though there was some delay in the completion of some venues, every stadium is completely ready now," he stated. Saying that the stadiums for the Games are world class, he said: "These stadiums can host events like the Olympics and world championships." Chairman of the OC's media and publicity committee Tarlochan Singh said all stadiums were Games-ready with all personnel in place. "All venue managers are in position and the Organising Committee headquarters building is getting vacant by the day," he said. Chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent Bhubaneswar Kalita said that chefs-de-mission of all the 71 participating nations have already visited all the venues. "I too have been regularly visiting the venues," he added. Regarding the Commonwealth Games village, of which much has been written about, Bhanot said that International Olympic Committee (IOC) members have hailed the village as the best ever in the history of the Games. "There is a 400-metre relay track and an Olympic size swimming pool within the village complex for training by athletes," he said. The village will officially open September 23 afternoon when the Indian contingent, led by Kalita, will enter the complex to take residence for the quadrennial extravaganza. Bhanot also added that food at the Games village will be officially catered from September 15. To a query on the number of people who will be involved in running the Games, Bhanot said: "I would say around 110,000 people overall. The Delhi government is also providing 570 air-conditioned buses for the Games." Asked about security threats during the Games, Kalita said that he has already met all 71 chefs-de-mission and there has been no issue in this regard. Stating that he personally met the security heads of Australia, New Zealand and England, Kalita said: "My message to all participating nations is - come to India and play well." 

Source: The Times of India