Commonwealth Games 2010 :Are We Ready To Prove To World, India Is Capable Of Organizing A World Class Event

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi are just over a year away. The event is not only important for the development of sports
in the country, but also a chance for us to prove to the world that India is capable of successfully organizing a world class event, even in times of global problems like terrorism and the economic gloom.

For the past few months, some sections have been making a hue and cry over the preparations of the Games, which according to them are lagging well behind schedule and may not be complete in time for the mega event. We at Zeenews.com decided to visit the Commonwealth Games Village being readied for the 2010 Games to get a first-hand account of the ground reality.


Our first stop was the Commonwealth Games Village site being constructed near the famous Akshardham Temple in east Delhi. The village is the place where thousands of athletes coming to the capital will have residential facilities in around 1,160 flats. The dining facilities will be arranged in a separately constructed hall. Another site being built nearby will take care of the practice and recreational needs of the visitors.

Entering the village, especially without any prior intimation to the authorities of our visit, was like trying to penetrate into a fortress. There was an unprecedented level of security around the whole complex, not because the threat of a terror strike but as we discovered later, because the authorities were afraid that all the media wanted to do was to tarnish their image and highlight delays and faults in the construction process.

After a lot of convincing that we were not here for what they feared, we were allowed to get in but with strict instructions that photography was not allowed inside (it was for security reasons, is what they told us). First, we decided to head towards the residential complex. Construction was in full swing and by the look of it, the complex should be ready as per plans if there is no further delay due to unavoidable circumstances. Some of the people at the site told us that the construction company in charge was facing some problem due to lack of funds and has sought help from government authorities. However, no official was available at the site for a reaction.

Next we headed for the practice venue where we hoped to meet some DDA (Delhi Development Authority) officials and get some reactions and dates regarding the planned and expected completion of the mammoth project.

We were again stopped at the gate by the security personnel, who were a bit reluctant to let us in, especially after having seen a camera in our hands. However, after another round of arguing and convincing that we had got so used to by now, he finally allowed us in but on condition that we will have to speak to the officials before even trying to look at the construction site. On our way to meeting the officials we decided to have a sneak peek at the construction site and apart from a few workers and trucks; things did not look very encouraging with no visible structures in place.

The practice venue is supposed to have facilities such as an Olympics size swimming pool, an athletics track and a world-class fitness center, apart from other facilities for sports such as weightlifting and wrestling. The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place in October 2010 and the completion date for the entire complex has been put at March-April in the same year.

The officials present at the site tried to convince us that the work was on course for completion at the stipulated time and that there will be no compromise with the pre-determined plan. The work, according to them, had started here in July 2008 and that there will be visible structures at the site in another six months, as all the basic work of laying the foundations has been completed. We were told that 1,200 tons of steel had already been used in the construction process. A DDA official, though reluctantly and on condition of anonymity, did admit that the work was a little behind schedule but the admittance was backed by confidence that there was still more than a year left before the completion deadline and that things will be flawless by then.

He then showed us the exact location of the swimming pool site as well as other places where, according to the authorities, the structures will ‘magically’ start to appear in the next few months. The foundations we saw were already in place as he had told us, but there were very few signs that could lead us into believing the rather desolate looking place will actually start appearing like something that the model of the site present at the location looked like.

Final verdict: If you believe the officials, we can be rest assured that the Commonwealth Games will turn out to be a highly successful event and a show of strength by India, but if you believe your eyes, we will need a lot more than just a bit of divine intervention.

Queen's baton for 2010 Commonwealth Games unveiled

On Sunday evening, India Gate will come alive with music, fireworks and flying angels creating a symphony in mid-air. The baton for the Commonwealth relay, the Olympics equivalent of the torch relay, will be showcased for the first time in the capital before it is sent to London.

The baton, designed in Bangalore, will be unveiled by LG Tejinder Khanna in a glittering affair that will also display Commonwealth themes on the India Gate in a fascinating laser and light show. A huge stage, flanked by water screens, will be set up in front of the Amar Javan Jyoti and over 200 artists including 15 artists from UK’s famous Toll Theatre, dressed up as angels, will perform in mid-air and eventually hand over the baton to the Game’s committee members. The troupe will be performing for the first time in the country. The baton relay will start from Buckingham Palace in November this year.

Rajiv Makin, director (commercial and marketing), India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) said: “The show will be open for all. About 120 private security officials other than Delhi Police personnel have been deployed for the function. Apart from performers and the show management, there are about 300 people who are working hard to make the show a success. About 20,000 people are expected to witness the event.”

There will also be folk and classical dance performances by Indian troupes. Ganesh Natyalaya will perform bharatnatyam while the Asavari Repertory will have a kathak performance. A contemporary dance segment will be presented by the Santosh Nair group.

Watching 2010 Commonwealth Games on TV may remain dream for millions

Overzealousness, coupled with short-sightedness on the part of government officials looking after 2010 Commonwealth Games preparations may leave millions of Indian viewers tuning their TV sets for not-yet-available High Definition (HD) format airing of the much-awaited event.
A simple logic that the country has very few such TV sets in the country and since they are manufactured abroad, it is too costly an affair to import them for the Indian middle- class seems to have skipped the consideration of the policy- makers for the historic event.
Apart from that, even the government’s transmission infrastructure completely lacks in supporting HD-enabled broadcast, as most of Doordarshan’s transmitters are analog- based, thus rendering this type of telecast a near- impossibility, according to a senior DD official.
“The cost of these sets are in the range of Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 and they are not currently available in the country. Besides, as of now there is no policy to enable production of HD-enabled TV sets here,” the official said.
The Ministry for Information and Broadcasting has, meanwhile, sought Cabinet’s approval for setting up studios in Chennai and Kolkata, which would produce programmes in the HD format.
“Currently, we have one such studio each in Delhi and Mumbai, which are capable of producing programmes in HD format,“ the official said.
In order to broadcast Commonwealth Games, signals will have to be aired in HD format. “Countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada, where HD format is in use, would be the right holders for the Games.
“HD signals can be converted to standard definition signals for Indian viewers. But the television sets need to be HD format-enabled for receiving these signals,” the official added.
Households with cable and satellite facilities can also receive HD signals through set-top boxes, but HD-enabled TV sets would still be required for clear and sharp images and true to life 3-D pictures, he stressed.
As for the production of such TV sets in India, it can take off in large numbers only if more HD-enabled studios come up in the four metros and the number of programmes produced in HD format increases, which at the moment seems long way off.