Camera balloons are used during the Commonwealth Games

With the Commonwealth Games drawing near, Delhi police are gearing up to the challenge.

According to the police, a trial run of the ambitious camera balloons which will be used for aerial surveillance during the Games will be held during the one-day match between India and Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on December 27. "It will be based on the results of the trial run that a decision will be made on its use during the Commonwealth Games,'' said a senior police officer at the police headquarters.

According to sources, around three to four of these helium filled balloons will be mounted during the match. "All these balloons will be having cameras of the latest technology fitted on them. The idea is that this PTZ (Pan, Tilt Zoom) cameras which can rotate 360 degrees will be useful in keeping a watchful eye on the crowd as well as the traffic outside the stadium. These balloons have been used successfully during the Athens Olympics. However, we know there are certain limitations even with this system. We will be waiting to find out the results to ensure that the huge amount of money that would be invested in such a venture does not go waste,'' said a senior police officer.

Confirming that the traffic police too is taking a keen interest in the experiment, joint commissioner (traffic) S N Srivastav said that they were going to evaluate the findings. Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a senior officer added that the immediate use of the technology could be in curbing illegal parking outside the stadium on match day or in spotting potential mischief-makers. "Any irregularity will be spotted by our own men managing the cameras,'' said the officer.

A special control room would also be set up at the stadium for this purpose. "This control room will be helping us in setting up benchmarks for the gala event,'' added the officer. This control room will also act as a training module for the police officers who will be entrusted with handling these balloons during the Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, the central district is taking no chances this time around after an uneasy tiff with DDCA last time round. "This is a major chance to evaluate our security position and therefore we are hoping that all agencies will cooperate. We might even take over the stadium, a day prior to the game this time,'' said a senior police officer.

Haryana to flow water into Surajkund lake before Commonwealth Games

Will the dried-up Surajkund Lake see water again? Even as Haryana Tourism seems to have drawn up an ambitious plan to revive the water body before the Commonwealth Games, experts are questioning its sustainability given the fact that mining has caused the water retention capacities of lake's bed to be affected.According to S N Rai, managing director, Haryana Tourism, 12 natural water bodies some of them lakes in the Aravali range have been identified to draw water for the kund. "We will pump out water from these and install pipes to carry water to Surajkund Lake. These have sufficient water, specially during the rain season, and we hope to cash in on the natural resources,'' said Rai during his visit to Surajkund. He asserted that the work would be completed before the Commonwealth Games.

The Times of India had highlighted how rampant mining in the Aravali has caused the three Faridabad lakes Surajkund, Badkhal and Damdama which till very recently had healthy water levels to dry up completely. The reports had caused consternation among environmental activists and even prompted some to plan a cricket match on the dried up Badkhal bed which was scuttled after authorities swiftly moved in to put an end to the "tournament''. The Supreme Court some time back put a ban on mining in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat till the Haryana government comes out with a comprehensive environmental rehabilitation plan.

Meanwhile, environmentalists as well as civil engineers from Faridabad who will be executing the project, are questioning the idea of recharging Surajkund by piped water. "Most of the water bodies that have been identified dry up during summer. Maintaining such a huge network of pipelines in the Aravalis will not be an easy task,'' said S Pillai, a conservationist. According to Pillai, it would be difficult to stop water from evaporating during summers even if the lake flooring is relaid. "This seems a stop-gap method to showcase the area to foreign tourists. The Haryana government may have announced to revive the Badkhal and Surajkund lakes in time for the 2010 Games, but the fact remains that it neglected the two crucial water bodies for well over two decades,'' he said.

The apex court while hearing the matter of mining had said: "Mining alters the natural land profile of the area. Mine pits and unattended dumps are irreversible consequences of mining operations. Rock blasting, movement of heavy vehicles and operation of mining equipment cause considerable pollution in the form of noise and vibration.''

SC had earlier directed the government to develop a 200m wide green belt along Surajkund and Badkhal. But only shrubs and wild growth were found, with no real evidence of good afforestation.

Haryana Police to get Rs 85 cr for Commonwealth Games security

With the CRPF camp at Kadarpur scheduled to host the shooting event of the Commonwealth Games, Haryana police is all set to get Rs 85 crore for preparations. Senior government officials said the government had already written a letter to state government in this regard.

Senior police officials said that Gurgaon police had recently submitted the detailed security plan to Union government and CWG committee. "Our plan includes a double security layer for players and officials and air surveillance during their movement from the Games Village to the venue. Besides, CCTVs will be installed along the route. The state government has already released Rs 8 crore for the same,'' said R S Dalal, DGP, Haryana.

"The security plan includes measures taken during the construction of the firing range. The equipments used by the participants will also be checked,'' added Dalal.

There will be separate parking for participants, officials, VVIPs and visitors, Deswal added. Haryana DGP added that 2,000 new posts were sanctioned for Gurgaon police in the wake of the Games and the officers will join the force by February-end next year.

The state government has allotted Rs 770 crore for the development of the city before the Commonwealth Games 2010. All major roads in the city would have been widened and there are also plans of beautification of parks and public places before the start of the Games. Beside this, work is being carried out on a new traffic management plan for which a private company has conducted the survey.

20 Hoteliers Drop Out Of 2010 Games projects

About 20 hoteliers have opted out of the Commonwealth Games hotel project putting severe strain on the Government for providing accommodation to guests of the upcoming mega sporting event.

Aiming at providing 40,000 rooms during the 2010 Games, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had auctioned 33 hotel plots in the Capital.

Of the total hoteliers who bagged the project, 20 have not even completed 30 per cent of ground work and have considered opting out, a senior Tourism Ministry official told PTI.

"For example, Amar Hospitality which was to construct a 512 room hotel in Shahadara, is moving at a snail's pace and there are not much activity on the ground. For us, they have opted out of the Games project," said the official.

Similarly, Asrani Inns is yet to make any headway in constructing two hotels with 375 rooms at Wazirpur. The 219-room hotel at Rohini by Breaze Constructions is also delayed and the Government is firmly ruling out its inclusion.

Work progress of Anush, which was given land in Shahadara for construction of a 136-room hotel, is tardy. Even 30 per cent of the work is not completed as per the status report.

IFCI Ltd was given land in Mayur Vihar for building a hotel with 91 rooms, Sewa Hotel was to come up with 72 rooms in Pitampura and Brilliant committed to construct 138 rooms at Shalimar Bagh. The Ministry has put these rooms in doubtful category after their work almost stopped.

Bolt will run at Commonwealth Games - organisers

Organisers for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India are confident Jamaica's colossal sprint star Usain Bolt will compete at the event next October in New Delhi.

Speaking at a sports breakfast held alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Port of Spain this past weekend, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, confirmed Bolt would take part in the October 3 to 14 event.
The build-up for the 2010 Games has been plagued by venue-construction delays and organisational problems, but Kalmadi - together with a Bolt boost for the event - said preparations were on track and that venues would begin to be completed by May.

Bolt is track and field's biggest star and it is not uncommon for elite athletes at his level to miss the Commonwealth Games to facilitate their appearances in other world level or rich grand prix events.

Bolt, 23, won triple gold - 100, 200 metres and sprint relay - at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, all in world record times, and also picked up gold in all three events at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in August this year.

Commonwealth bans Fiji from Delhi Games

Fijian athletes are banned from competing in next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

The decision was announced in a communique at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago.

The leaders of the 53 nations that make up the Commonwealth - including Australia, Britain, New Zealand and South Africa - "expressed deep concern at the further deterioration of the situation in Fiji Islands with regard to its adherence to fundamental Commonwealth values, including the abrogation of the Constitution in April 2009, ongoing restrictions on human rights including freedom of speech and assembly, and the interim government's decision to further delay elections until 2014".

Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth on September 1 after self-appointed Fijian leader Frank Bainimarama refused to hold elections by 2010.

The CHOGM leaders "observed that Commonwealth sporting events represent a significant public demonstration of the unity of the Commonwealth as a family of members with a shared commitment to fundamental values. They affirmed that sporting ties under the Commonwealth name are inseparable from the values of the (Commonwealth Games) Association".

Delhi Metro to Carry 1 billion riders in 7yrs

Delhi Metro, which is fast becoming capital’s lifeline as its network expands, has ferried over one billion passengers, which is about the population of the entire country. The MRTS system is on expansion mode before the Commonwealth Games and new lines are going to be opened now every other month taking the Metro to south Delhi, east Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Airport.
‘‘With the massive expansion in the last seven years, the number of people who have availed Delhi Metro services till date touched a record 1,014,955,894 on Thursday,’’ said a DMRC spokesperson.

On November 24, Delhi Metro recorded its highest-ever ridership during the India International Trade Fair (IITF) when about 10.29 lakh commuters used the services on a single day. As ridership are far exceeding DMRC’s own projects — over 1 lakh commuters are using the Noida line on date as against the projection of about 53,000 commuters for 2012, the problem of crowding in trains is becoming more and more acute.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials say that new trains are coming, and from now, a new train will be inducted into the system every fortnight. Already, DMRC has got about 17 train sets of four coaches each for broad gauge and another 10 trains for standard gauge. The total order is for 131 trains which will all be delivered before 2010 end.

Delhi Metro began its journey on December 25, 2002 on a small 8.5 km stretch between Shahdara and Tis Hazari. The initial daily ridership was just about 35,000 passengers. At present, the network is about 90 km long and this will increase further as more lines get commissioned for Phase II, which is nearing completion. The average daily ridership stands at about nine lakh passengers daily.

Tribal archers target Commonwealth Games

The dusky girl with a fetching dimple from Ratu village near Ranchi is barely 16 - and an ace archer. Meet Deepika Kumari, who won the gold medal in the cadet (junior) category at the World Archery Youth Championships at Ogden in the US in 2009. She is a product of the Tata Archery Academy that has produced many champions over the years.


Deepika trains for more than nine hours a day. She is preparing for the Commonwealth Games 2010 and the Asian Games thereafter at the sprawling Tata Archery Academy here.

The academy's alumnus boasts of names like Dola Banerjee, the 2007 World Cup gold winner, Rahul Banerjee, the 2008 World Cup gold winner and Jayanta Talukdar, the 2006 World Cup gold winner. Its archers have won 753 national medals and 169 international medals.

'I was a little scared while competing in the US, but my coach Purnima Mahto gave me the courage. I am confident of making it to the Indian team at the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games, which is scheduled soon after the Commonwealth Games,' Deepika Kumari told IANS in between her morning practice session.

Deepika's inspiration is Arjuna awardee Jayanta Talukdar, another Tata Academy fellow, who ranked world number one in July 2009.

The academy has put together a team of four men and four women archers for selection to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games contingents.

The Tata Archery Academy, an integral part of the Tata Steel's sports department - one of the company's primary Corporate Social Responsibility component - was set up in 1996 to train and promote local archers from villages in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, where the company has its mines and industries. It later spread its wings countrywide to handpick tribal talent for its four-year residential course.

Tata Steel was conferred the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar by the president of India in 2009 for its contribution to sports.

The archery academy currently has 21 cadets between 13 and 18 years - 12 girls and nine boys - who stay at the academy, train and study in the local school. Most of them are from poor families in the villages, the cost of their training, stay, education, equipment and exposure at different tournaments around the world is borne by the company.

'It took us a decade to hone our archers to win laurels at the international level. This region is a treasure house of archery talent because the local ethnic people have been using bow and arrows for centuries,' coach Purnima Mahto told IANS.

Located on a landscaped stretch at the mammoth GRD Tata Sports Complex in the city- the academy comprises a huge training range that offers 'targets' between 30 metres to 90 metres distance - which are the Federation of International Archers' (FITA) distance stipulation.

'Archers have to prove their aim in four distance categories - 30 metres, 50 metres, 60-70 metres and 90 metres. While for girls, the distance cap is 70 metres, for boys, it's 90 metres,' coach Dharmendra Tiwari told IANS.

The academy also has a hostel for the cadets, two state-of-the-art gyms, a swimming pool, meditation and yoga centre and a stadium (with 40,000 seats) with a synthetic track where the archers train for 'strength, agility and mind powers'.

'Besides, we also conduct regular counselling and motivation sessions, draw up special diet charts, hire foreign coaches (mostly from South Korea) and send our cadets abroad for training. The performance of each cadet is reviewed. Sometimes, we even weed out cadets if they fail to perform,' Captain Amitabh, head of the Tata Steel sports department, told IANS.

Foreign training helps, says national champion Atanu Das, a cadet from Kolkata, 'who went to (South) Korea for training from the TAA'.

The academy has four feeder centres in the Tata Steel mines located in the tribal interiors, from where it sources local talent.

'Besides, we also pick up talent from the SAIL Archery Academy in Kiriburu, the Ekalavya Academy (run by the state government at Kharsawan in East Singhbhum) and from around the states. We also have a former archery champion V.V.S.N. Rao, who advises us on strategies,' Amitabh said.

The training is gruelling. 'Archers begin their day with a four-hour morning training at 8.30 a.m. followed by an afternoon session at 3 p.m. Night training begins at 6 p.m. They practise with imported bows and the standard set of 144 arrows. It is interspersed with strength and mind training and regular studies. Education is important to help the archers communicate and improve IQ,' Purnima Mahto said.

Coach Rupesh Singh monitors the practice sessions with a laptop. He records the speed and target range of the cadets every day and maintains 'flow charts of their progress'.

The academy also sets target scores for probable champions that can fetch them medals.

Rimil Biruly, a local archer who won a bronze in the 2009 World Cup in Turkey, told IANS: 'I will make it to both the Commonwealth and the Asian Games squads. I did not know anything about archery till 2004 when I joined the Jharkhand Academy Association. I was later picked by the Tata Archery Academy, which has given me edge and confidence.'

Bolt to participate in 2010 Commonwealth Games: Kalmadi

Triple Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt will take part in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi said.



Addressing a Sports Breakfast on the sidelines of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Kalmadi said Bolt will be the start attraction in the October 3-14 muliti-sport event being hosted by India for the first time.

Kalmadi said the preparations for the Games are on track and the process to hand over stadia will start in January and everything will be in place by May, five months ahead of the multi-sport event.

He also reaffirmed the commitment to hold the best ever Commonwealth Games that will have focus on environment.

"These will be the first ever green Games ... become the benchmark for all multi-disciplinary games in future. These will be the best ever Games," said Kalmadi who outlined the preparations along with Sports Secretary Sindushree Khullar.

The first stadium to be handed over to the Organising Committee will be Dhyan Chand Stadium, which will host hockey competitions.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games on October 3 and October 14 respectively, besides the track and field events will be handed over by May.

With regard to traffic problems, Khullar said elaborate and meticulous plans are being worked out by the Delhi Traffic Police and athletes will be ferried in a dedicated lane.

Also, the Delhi government will declare a holiday on October 14, for the closing ceremony, to reduce traffic on roads, said Khullar, who gave a detailed presentation outlining the progress made on various aspects of the Games.

October 3 is a Sunday and less traffic is expected any way, Khullar said.

Delhi Police will also be appealing to most of the offices to shut down on October 14, she said.

Begging to be caught

More than two months after Delhi authorities launched mobile courts to convict and remove beggars from the capital’s streets, the controversial initiative has made a faltering start.



On a recent trip with police officers through the chaotic streets of Old Delhi, the difficulties for the anti-begging teams trying to get Delhi ready for the Commonwealth Games next year were plain to see.

The simple idea is that police nab the beggars and bring them before a judge on a bus which accompanies the officers. If convicted, they are sent off to “rehabilitation centres”.

In his khaki uniform, SK Tyagi and three colleagues are on the frontline in a fight pitting the force of the law against the force of numbers.

One campaign group estimates there are 200,000 beggars on the streets of New Delhi.

“They’re beggars, but they’re too old,” Tyagi said, pointing to two old women with grey hair and dirty clothes as he picked his way through rickshaws, cars, crowds and overloaded trucks in the dust and noise of Old Delhi.

The two women he had identified ducked into the darkness of an adjacent sidestreet off the main Chandni Chowk thoroughfare.

The team of police officers next tried their luck at a nearby Sikh temple - religious sites being a favoured spot for beggars.

A elderly, bearded man with bare feet sat at the entrance.

“He hasn’t got his hand out, so we can’t stop him,” said Usha Rani, the only woman in the team, whose exasperated tone suggested the complications of her mission were not lost on her.

A little further on, the roaming team found someone who looked like he might fit their strict criteria - aged about 40, he was holding out his hand to indifferent passersby while sitting on a filthy straw mattress.

But after closer examination, it was another false start.

“It’s a leper,” said Tyagi, who explained that they didn’t want ill people.

As he spoke, a group of children could be seen tugging at the clothes of Western tourists asking for coins in full view of the police.

According to Tyagi, they were not arresting children either, mainly because the judge did not have the legal power to convict minors.

In the end, the mobile court parked a short distance away saw no action.

One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, conceded the futility of a fight with limited resources against the tide of beggars.

Rights groups have already attacked the government’s attitude to beggars ahead of the Commonwealth Games, which run from October 3 - 14, 2010, saying prosecuting them does nothing to solve the underlying problem of poverty.

According to a World Bank report, 42 per cent of India’s nearly 1.2 billion population falls below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day.

“We can’t really do much with two mobile courts for the whole city,” admitted the government official.

In a city of 16 million people, only eight police officers and two judges have been assigned to the mobile courts, which are set to function for the next 12 months.

According to the local government, 70 beggars have been arrested since the start of the operation, most of them men from poor Indian states.

If it is their first offence, those convicted are expected to spend between one and three years in a rehabilitation centre where they are supposed to learn a profession, such as plumbing or carpentry.

Repeat offenders can be sentenced to up to ten years in these special institutions, which separate men, women, children and the handicapped.

Commonwealth Games 2010: Cos on fast track to ink sponsorships

NTPC, Hero Honda Motors, Samsung, Coca-Cola and Standard Chartered Bank are among the companies close to signing sponsorship deals for
the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The organising committee for the Games is targeting total sponsorship to the tune of Rs 1,330 crore and negotiations are in final stages, A K Mattoo, treasurer of the panel, told SundayET. “Among these companies, so far NTPC has committed the maximum sum. We have firmed up nearly Rs 250 crore,” he said.

The sponsorship contracts will allow companies mileage marketing opportunities for their brands at stadiums, the Games village and the official website. The categories of sponsors include lead partners, partners, sponsors, co-sponsors and suppliers. While the lead partner will pitch in with Rs 100 cr, the partner would have to commit Rs 50 cr for the event. “We are looking at two lead partners and ten partners,” Mr Mattoo said.

Tata Group officials met members of the organising panel this week to discuss participation as a lead partner, persons aware of the development said. “It was an informal meeting,” an organizing committee official said.
Spokespersons for Samsung and StanChart declined to comment but other officials in both firms said sponsorship deals are under negotiation. Coca-Cola did not respond to an email.

A Hero Honda representative said the two-wheeler company was one of the largest corporate promoters of sports in India and had been actively promoting various disciplines of sports such as cricket, golf and hockey.

“This is an ongoing process at Hero Honda and we always keep looking for opportunities to further build on our long and fruitful association with sports. However, there is nothing specific for us to announce at this point of time.”

The organising panel had previously told the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that its sponsorship consultant had got in touch with more than 70 companies and would conclude agreements by March next year. “The projection is to get Rs 960 cr from sponsors first, which will ensure games are on track to be revenue neutral. Due to the global slowdown, it has been a tall order to get sponsors,” Mr Mattoo said.

India promises best-ever and first 'Green' Commonwealth Games

Blending sports with climate change diplomacy, India Saturday said it will hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the best-ever sporting show and underlined that the event will propel New Delhi to a world class city.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organizing committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, made the remarks at a 'sports breakfast' that the leaders and sports ministers of former British colonies attended.

The breakfast was held at the seaside Hotel Hyatt, where most of the world leades participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) are staying.

Addressing the gathering, Kalmadi reaffirmed India's commitment to holding the best-ever Commonwealth Games and a unique event that will have environment and climate as its focus.

'We will hold the best ever Commonwealth Games and the first green Commonwealth Games,' Kalmadi told journalists here.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday made a vigorous pitch for 'equitable and balanced outcome' at the upcomming UN conference on climate change at Copenhagen during his intervention at a special session devoted to climate change at the CHOGM meeting.

'Environment today is a critical component. Recognising this, we will strive towards reducing the carbon footprint to hold the first-ever Green Commonwealth Games and thus become the benchmark for all multi-disciplinary games in the future,' Kalmadi said at the sports breakfast.

India will invest in green infrastructure, pro-active waste management, greening and green ceremonies, Kalmadi said.

Despite skepticism expressed by some about India's preparedness for holding such a mammoth sporting event, Kalmadi conjured a robust picture of the preparations for the Games.

There are always skeptics, but we have proved them wrong again and again, Kalmadi told IANS.

Outlining the detailed preparations for the Games and its expected spinoff for the Indian economy, Kalmadi said the mega sporting event will generate $4.5 billion for India in the 2008-2012 period.

It will create 2.5 million jobs and over 100,000 tourists are expected to visit India, Kalmadi said.

The Games will leave behind a great legacy for New Delhi and for India in the areas of civic and world class facilities, thus promoting Olympics sport in the country, he said.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma and Mike Fennel, president Commonwealth Games Federation, as also sports ministers from the Commonwealth countries, attended the sports breakfast.

India to spend $2 bln on Commonwealth Games

A total of two billion U.S. dollars is estimated to be spent on the Commonwealth Games that will be held in June 2010 in New Delhi, organizers said here on Saturday.

Sindhushree Khular, India's minister of youth, told reporters on the second day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago that the budget was much larger than originally planned due to an expansion in the number of venues.

"The original budget estimate was low, the same thing that happened in Glasgow and in London," Kular said, referring to Glasgow's 2014 plan to host the Commonwealth Games and London's 2010 plan to host the Olympics.

"When we made the budget we thought there would be 10 functional areas. We now had to raise the number to 34."

India has not hosted a major sporting event since the Asian Games in 1982 and many of its venues need substantial upgrades to meet the Commonwealth Games standards.

The Indian government is funding the Commonwealth Games and will gain revenues from broadcasting rights sales and sponsorship, said Suresh Kalmadi, head of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.

"Television sponsorship will double what we had originally expected," said Suresh.

"In order to achieve this, the Games will hold key events to match the time zone of their key audiences. Athletics events will be held in U.K. time for instance," he added.

Kalmadi also said that a successful Commonwealth Games could serve as a platform for a bid for the Olympic Games or soccer's World Cup.

Discussions on climate change dominate Commonwealth Games meeting

Discussions on climate change dominated the first day of the Commonwealth Games Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here, with most participants calling for universal actions to battle climate change.

The meeting brought together 51 heads of state from Commonwealth nations more than two weeks ahead of the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen next month.

During a press conference in the afternoon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said they would back anti-climate change actions with 30 billion U.S. dollars via an environmental fund that will be spent during the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Sarkozy said he had received encouraging promises from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a breakfast.

"Singh also told me that India will never produce more carbon dioxide than the average of all other nations and that India would never be an obstacle in climate change negotiations," he said.

Sarkozy added that France will propose the creation of a new UN body called the World Environment Organization, which will mainly implement agreements that will emerge from the Copenhagen meeting.

No nation would be obliged to choose between growth and carbon dioxide reduction, he continued, describing such an idea as "twentieth-century thinking."

Many of the Commonwealth nations are small island states that have been directly affected by rising sea levels, and others are in the Caribbean which have suffered more frequent and stronger hurricanes due to high sea temperatures.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed France's proposal, saying it is an attempt to bridge the gap between developed and developing nations in order to achieve a clear and legally enforceable deal in Copenhagen. But Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen cautioned that many details need to be settled.

"What we need to achieve in Copenhagen is an agreement on financing. The new fund will need a pledging procedure, and the most developed nations have to participate," Rasmussen said.

It has been accepted that the world's most industrialized nations have to make more efforts than developing nations, becausethey had polluted more to attain their current status, he added.

So far, 85 heads of government have already agreed to participate in the Copenhagen talks, Rasmussen said, adding that many more are considering it.

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the outgoing chairman of CHOGM, stressed climate change in his speech during the opening ceremony.

"Climate change is a direct responsibility of those who use unclean technologies," he said, adding that "it is a new form of aggression and must be stopped."

The incoming chairman, Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning, said that CHOGM has an obligation to pave the way for the rest of the world "because it contains a microcosm of the international community; small islands, middle income nations and industrialized nations from the world's five continents."

CHOGM has brought representatives of 51 governments to Port of Spain, the capital of Caribbean island nation Trinidad and Tobago.

There are around 5,000 delegates at the conference, including representatives of commonwealth governments, youth organizations, businessmen and non-government organizations.

Govt to spend 678 crore on athletes for Commonwealth Games

A total of 1140 athletes including 485 women are getting help in their training for next year's Commonwealth Games through a scheme,worth Rs 678 crore, the sports ministry said on Thursday.

Responding to a query in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Prateek Prakashbapu Patil said they are implementing a scheme, aimed at improving the performance of the Indian contingent in the 2010 Games.

The scheme covers all the competitions in the Games, to be held from October 3 to 14, and a total of 655 men and 485 women elite athletes have been identified for the training, Patil said.

The scheme has been finalised in consultation with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the concerned national sports federations, he added.

The disciplines include Archery, Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Boxing (M), Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball (W), Rugby Sevens (M), Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis Weightlifting, Wrestling and Elite Athletes with Disability (Athletics, Powerlifting, Table Tennis and Swimming).

India committed to organising successful Commonwealth Games 2010

India on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to organising the best Commonwealth Games ever next year.

At the Sports Breakfast during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Sindushree Khullar, secretary, sports ministry, outlined Delhi's preparations for the Games.

Khullar gave a detailed presentation on the progress made on various aspects of the 2010 Games scheduled Oct 3-14.

Khullar elaborated on the roles and responsibilities, financial support, venue updates, Games Village, tourist arrivals and accommodation, volunteer programme, preparedness, legacy and the Queens' Baton Relay.

Kalmadi listed some benefits of the Games like the creation of 2.5 million jobs and the economic impact of approximately $4,500 million for India over a period from 2008 to 2012, the 1,00,000 tourists in flow, investment in green infrastructure, pro-active waste management, greening and offset and green ceremonies.

"Environment is a critical component today," he said. "We will strive towards reducing the carbon footprint to establish the first green Commonwealth Games and set a benchmark for all future multi-disciplinary events," Kalmadi said.

Run up to Delhi Commonwealth Games: Home Guards trains personnel in English speaking

In view of the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi, the Home Guards and Civil Defence Directorate has initiated a programme to train its personnel in spoken English.

Experts of British Lingua, a Delhi based English language training institution are aiding the personnel to polish their spoken English skills.

Briefing the media about training of personnel in speaking English,Home Guards and Civil Defence Deputy Director M S Upadhye, said the performance of the Home Guards personnel in the last 20 days has surpassed his expectation.

He added that the personnel have now started communicating in English.

“We are teaching the personnel how to speak in English and in the last 20 days, they spent five hours in learning English and they are performing very well,” Upadhye said.

“Infact their performance is more than what I was expecting and as a result the boys have now started to communicate in English with their colleagues and also do group discussion. It will have a good impact on others as well,” he added.

The British Lingua Managing Director, Birbal Jha, seemed pleased with the outcome.

“Keeping in mind our target - how to make them communicate with foreign visitors in English, to improve their pronunciation, their grammar knowledge and all the basics of English necessary for communication to help tourists, help them and give them direction, we are conducting the classes for them. Now also you will see them speaking in English and we feel very happy, Jha said.

The participants feel that the programme apart from helping them to improve English speaking skills, also boosted their self confidence.

Besides, the Home Guards volunteers are also being groomed to conduct themselves properly, courtesies, manners and etiquette, disaster and traffic management.

Department of Tourism, Haryana To Set Up Camping Accommodation In 5 Tourist Destinations In The State Before CWG 2010

The Department of Tourism, Government of Haryana has identified five tourist destinations in Haryana to set up camping accommodation before the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. These destinations are Surajkund, Hodal, Dharuhera, Morni and Damdama. The decision has been taken to provide additional accommodation at the National Capital Region (NCR) during the Games.
According to Keshni Anand Arora, Principal Secretary – Tourism, Government of Haryana, the state tourism department plans to develop the sites as full-fledged camping sites for tourists. The sites will be developed with private participation. The state government will offer the site on lease for a specified tenure and will also provide basic infrastructure like toilet blocks and common dining areas. She said, “We will act as a facilitator along with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.”

The state tourism department will soon commence development work at the identified sites so that the sites can be handed over to the interested bidders. The state tourism department expects to provide accommodation to around 1,000 tourists through this model. As per sources, besides private operators, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) may also bid for some of these sites. When contacted, an ITDC official said that the Corporation is looking in to the opportunities but nothing has been finalised yet. However, the official informed that the Corporation is also looking at managing camping sites across various destinations including Jaipur, Jammu and Puducherry.

Talking about other initiatives of Haryana Tourism in view of Commonwealth Games 2010, Arora said that the state tourism department along with Haryana Travel Mart (HTM) will host Grand Shopping Festival at Gurgaon from February 24, 2010 to March 14, 2010 to showcase Gurgaon as a shopping destination for tourists coming to NCR. Around 12 shopping malls in Gurgaon, along with hotels and restaurants will participate in the three-week long Festival.

DDA Commonwealth Games venues to overshoot deadlines

Weeks before the coordination committee of the Commonwealth Games Federation comes
for a recce on Delhi's preparedness for the Commonwealth Games 2010, talk of delays in the construction of competition venues has become reality. Officials at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is in charge of two important competition venues as well as the Commonwealth Games Village along with several practice venues, admitted that deadlines have been moved from December 2009 to March 2010.


The admission comes days after the urban development minister, Jaipal Reddy, last Thursday said that work on Games-related projects was on time. Incidentally, the coordination committee of the CGF will be submitting the report which is expected to decide whether the Games preparations in the city need to be monitored by the CGF, as announced by CGF chief Mike Fennell earlier in October. The move had been rejected by the Organising Committee, which had later negotiated with the CGF for the CoCom to decide if such a committee was needed. The CoCom is expected to submit its report in December.

The two venues which are immediately affected are Siri Fort Complex and the Yamuna Sports Complex. Both are competition venues, with the Yamuna Sports Complex scheduled to hold the archery test event on March 7, 2010. Said a senior DDA official, "The YSC is expected to be complete by February so that the test event can be held there. However, the Siri Fort cannot be made ready before March 31, 2020.'' The delay in deadline comes even as officially, the land agency had been claiming a deadline in December 2009. Sources added that even in March, the handover of the venues would be partial, as landscaping and other finishing touches would still be going on.

The reason for the postponement in deadline, according to DDA officials, is the inordinate delay over deciding the FOP field of play, that is, the turf for the playing area and other parts of the venues. Said the official, "Majority of the work that remains is in the interiors, specially the FOP, electrical and other aspects.'' While at YSC the FOP has been laid in some of the badminton and the squash court, it is the archery venue at the Yamuna complex that the land agency is concentrating on. The complex is the main competition venue for table tennis and archery.

It's not the first venue which has been delayed. Earlier, Delhi government had admitted that the Thyagraj Stadium has also overshot its deadline of September, along with the various venues under the supervision of the SAI. DDA officials, however, claim the delay would not impact preparations. Said a senior official, "The venues will be complete with plenty of time left for the OC to get the stadia ready for the Games.''

Travel Industry Hopeful of 10% growth during 2010 Games

Today's one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai not only proves to be turning point for a city that remains defiant in the face of terror, but also for India's tourism.

The industry is hoping to achieve a 10 per cent growth next year after a $1.3 billion drop in tourism revenues in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the same period a year earlier.

"Travel from the Middle East to India recorded a meager five per cent growth at the end of this year's second quarter, compared to nearly double the growth for the same period in 2008," said Waseem Rahmany, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing, Al Rais Travel.

"However, the end of Q3 saw summer travel provide a much-needed boost to the tourism industry, which bridged the gap between revenue generated in 2008 and 2009 for the period."

Kuoni Travel Group India CEO and Managing Director, Zubin Karkaria, reiterated the sentiment, saying: "In the first quarter of 2009, travel to India from the Middle East took a nose dive; however, nearly 80 per cent of that lost market share was regained by the end of Q3."

He said: "The outlook for travel from this region to India next year is quite positive, with leisure and corporate travel indicating an upswing of nearly 10 per cent growth."

In order to stimulate inbound traffic for 2010, Indian Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said last week at the World Travel Market that a number of initiatives and events have been put in place to reach this goal, including special packages for the World Commonwealth Games in Delhi, which is expected to attract up to 100,000 people in October next year.

"We are already in the initial stages of planning extended holidays into India for those travelers who are flying down to attend the Games," Shakir Kantawala, General Manager of Jet Airways, Dubai and Northern Emirates, told Emirates Business. "We are positive it will turn out to be a huge draw for tourists."

Karkaria said: "Our team has already started working on creating special packages for the Commonwealth Games, which will be rolled out to international travel agencies by January 2010."

As one of the largest tour operators in India, with a turnover of Rs22.29bn in 2008 alone, the company is also in the business of offering wholesale packages to international travel agencies around the world.

India's tourism woes began in Q3 last year, when the full impact of the global recession reared its ugly head. Adding to that was the terrorist attack on Mumbai's iconic hotels, Taj and Trident, along with Leopold Café - a popular hangout with foreign tourists.

Statistics revealed a sharp fall in foreign tourists in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, which persisted well into this year.

In the December following the tragic events, arrivals fell 12.5 per cent on the previous year - a heavy toll for hoteliers in the middle of the peak season for foreign tourists.

The latest available figures by the country's tourism board indicate that 2.4 million foreigners visited India in the January-September period - down 3.3 per cent on the same period in 2008. However, independent studies reveal a grimmer picture of nearly an eight per cent decline in tourism.

A recent report by global consultancy HVS Hospitality Services described the financial year 2008-09 as "an unforgettable one for the Indian tourism" with an overall decline in occupancy and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

"Mumbai reported the largest RevPAR decline of 20.1 per cent for 2008-09 amongst the major cities in India," stated the October report titled Hotels in India - Trends and Opportunities.

Revenue per room in Mumbai hotels fell to Rs6, 513 from Rs8, 155 a year earlier.

"This was due to the Mumbai terror attacks. The event raised concerns in the minds of international travelers regarding India's worthiness as a safe and secure travel destination," the report said.

Occupancy rates were at 60.9 per cent in 2008-2009, down 18.4 per cent on the previous year.

Nationally, tourism contributed 6.1 per cent to India's GDP - down 0.7 per cent on 2007-08.

"In the aftermath of the attacks in Mumbai, it was predictable that tourism in India took a beating and was in need of an image makeover," said Kantawala. "Our way to deal with the crisis was to partner with India Tourism Board and use the media to our advantage."

Through Jet Airways' Visit India initiative, the airline flew media down on familiarization trips to those very cities and hotels that had suffered from attacks of terrorism.

Kantawala said: "We flew media to Mumbai, put them up in the Taj and Trident hotels, and took others to Delhi and Jaipur to show everyone that India knows how to bounce back."

However, by the second quarter of 2009 the H1N1 pandemic had spread its tentacles into India, providing yet another setback for the tourism industry.

"The Swine flu scare was even more lethal than the attacks on Mumbai," said Al Rais' Rahmany. "Almost 30 to 40 per cent of our business comes through the summer travel. But this year's panic brought that percentage down by nearly 10 points."

Rahmany, however, believes the worst for India's tourism sector is finally behind us. "Christmas and New Year travel to India is regaining momentum, with flights to the metros almost booked out, along with airfares increasing with high demand," he said.

According to figures released by the Indian Tourism Board, tourist arrivals are expected to rise again, around December. However, 2009's Q4 forecast of 4.8 million tourists is still down from the 5.5 million recorded in 2008.

Next year's 10 per cent growth in tourism is inevitable, say industry sources, with the government even developing 150 rural sites to generate more revenue. "I am quite bullish on India next year and its increased presence at global travel and trade fairs are a step in the right direction," said Karkaria.

Boxing coach Obisia Nwankpa wants early preparations for Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010

National boxing coach Obisia Nwankpa has lamented the lack of serious preparations for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

According to the former Commonwealth champion the boxers to represent the country at the event are worried that there are no competitions to enable them be in shape.

He said, ”It is sad that we are not preparing for the Commonwealth Games. In other countries, preparations are already in top gear and these are the people we will meet.

”For an event of such magnitude we should have started our preparations.

”There should have been competitions to select our boxers by now so that by next year we‘ll be talking about early camping. That‘s the only way we can be sure of medals,” he said.

The coach regretted that the national team could not impress at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and at the Amateur International Boxing Association Championship earlier this year, saying the preparations toward the events were terrible.

Obisia said, ”Toward the Olympics, we were camped in Benin just weeks before the games, and from there we moved to Beijing. The preparation was not good enough for us. It was difficult fighting boxers who had trained in three different countries, gaining experience and skills.”

Bolt keen to be in Delhi for the 2010 Games

Usain Bolt walked away with the Athlete of the Year award at the 2009 World Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo last weekend and I am glad my colleague on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council and Jamaica Olympic Association secretary-general Neville McCook introduced me to the world sprint champion. I am happy to inform you that Bolt told me he is keen to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.

Having also got International Athletic Foundation Honorary President Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAAF President Lamine Diack to agree to visit Delhi during the Commonwealth Games, I am now looking forward to a couple of days in London where I am meeting London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe.

I will discuss the legacy that such events can leave and am hoping to get the BBC to come on board as a rights holding broadcaster.

It is an honour to be chosen by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to represent India at the Nov 28 sports breakfast hosted by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Mr. Patrick Manning for the Commonwealth Heads of Government at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) retreat venue in Trinidad.
It gives us an opportunity to impress upon the Heads of Governments the legacy benefits that the Commonwealth Games will leave as well as the rapid growth of host city in terms of infrastructure and development.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Commonwealth Games will leave an amazing legacy for Olympic sport in our nation, creating an unprecedented sports consciousness among the Indians.

As for Delhi, you are well aware of how Delhi Metro is changing travel patterns, how additional overbridges and new roads will make life a great deal smoother for the citizens.

The new terminal that is coming up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport will be world class and become one of the hubs that will promote tourism into India.

I am sure Delhi will enjoy the benefits of the Games even after the mega event in October 2010.

Meanwhile, I am delighted that the Queen's Baton Relay 2010 is moving with clockwork precision across Europe, visiting iconic sites and being carried by some outstanding athletes.

The baton's 3381-km journey so far has been amazing, visiting iconic sites and bridging communities across the Commonwealth.

Amidst all this excitement, I am pleased to inform you that we have not lost focus of the ensuing visit of the Co-ordination Commission (CoCom).

We are well on the way to ensuring that all 34 Functional Areas of the Organising Committee are up to the mark and in keeping with the Games Master Schedule.

My team — and we are adding more and more personnel, including those being deputed by Government and the armed forces on our request as well as international sportspersons — and I are working hard to reach the milestones that we have set for ourselves.

I am confident that we will organise the best ever Games.

Rs84 crore to be spent in Commonwealth Games opening, closing ceremonies

India will spend Rs84 crore in conducting the grand opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, sports ministry said today.

Replying to a question at the Lok Sabha, minister of state for sports, Pratik Prakashbapu Patil said the theme and concept of the opening ceremony has been finalised while the same process is on for the closing ceremony.

"Rs84 crore approximately has been earmarked for the two ceremonies in the budget of the Organising Committee CWG Delhi 2010," Patil told the Lok Sabha.

"The concept and theme for the opening ceremony has been finalised. The theme and concept for the closing ceremony is in an advanced stage of finalisation. The operational details are being developed by the Organising Committee," he added.

He said the programmes for these two ceremonies will be ready ahead of the timeframe set by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"The CGF have advised that the programme for the opening and closing ceremonies needs to be finalised early. The programmes will be ready in time," Patil said.

The minister also informed the House that the government was also giving attention to the training of Indian athletes for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games next year.

"The government has undertaken a special drive for the preparation of athletes for the 2010 CWG and 2010 Asian Games. These efforts will be furthered suitably for training of sportspersons who qualify for London Olympics.

Assocham for tax holiday for five-star hotels

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has called for a five-year tax holiday for all hotels including five-star establishments, especially in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), in view of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

'The government has already accorded tax holiday for five years for two-, three- and four-star hotels and even convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000 in the NCR of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad,' it said in a statement Wednesday.

This facility, according to Assocham, needed to be extended to all categories of hotels so that room capacity expansion takes place to accommodate tourists to India during the 2010 Delhi Games.

It said the infrastructure of the hospitality sector, especially in five-star hotel category in Delhi and NCR where majority of tourists are likely to stay during the event, was inadequate.

'Therefore, their capacities are required to be enhanced in which five-year tax holiday extension scheme would prove a great facilitator,' it said.

'The hotel industry is highly capital-intensive. A new five-star hotel needs investment ranging from Rs.300 crore to Rs.500 crore,' said Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat.

The chamber also reiterated its demand for infrastructure sector status for the hospitality industry to accelerate the pace of construction of more hotels across the country.

Wait till the Games for a secure Capital

Delhi Police are planning big things for a secure Capital. Only, most of these things will kick into action only by next year when the Commonwealth Games are scheduled.

The Ministry of Home Affairs have sanctioned 56 CCTV cameras for all the big markets and 27 such cameras at border check posts.

“CCTV cameras are being procured. We will install all the cameras before the Commonwealth Games,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Cameras have been installed at market complexes in Vasant Vihar and at Ghazipur border.

There are several blind spots and market complexes where CCTV cameras are not working.

Police also plan to get real time video footage from across the city at the headquarters.

Gill draws flak over Games preparations

Faced with a volley of criticism about Delhi’s lack of preparedness for the Commonwealth Games next October, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs M S Gill had to do much firefighting in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

While Gill sought to allay concerns and assured that all work would be completed on time, several members called the situation worrisome.

Initiating the debate, BJP’s Kalraj Mishra said the ugly conflict between Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennel and Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi had reflected badly on India in the international arena. He expressed concern over the delay in completion of works at stadiums, shortage of accommodation, and security arrangements for the sports event.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said India would make a mockery of itself if it did not get its act together.

India assures foolproof security for 2010 Commonwealth Games

India has promised foolproof security for next year’s Commonwealth Games to be staged in New Delhi.

The senior functionaries of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee disclosed this to reporters here on Thursday.

Earlier, plans were discussed at the two-day international security liaison conference organised by India’s federal Home Ministry and attended by experts from 26 of the 71 participating nations including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

“All countries who had come, whether it is UK, Australia, they had come, they have seen not only the games village, they have seen the presentation and the security arrangements whether it is perimeter security within the games movements or from the games to the training and other venues and they were quite happy with that,” said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.

He also mentioned that as a part of the security measures, the venues may be sealed a week or a fortnight prior to the commencement of the mega event.

“We hope to seal the venue 7-14 days before the start of the games,” added G K Pillai, Home Secretary, Government of India.

India formed the liaison group due to heightened safety fears over travelling to New Delhi for the competition that will be staged in October 2010.

“We will be catering for additional resources to manage the Commonwealth Games so that the working of the day to day business as usual has to continue because we have to keep Delhi safe,” noted Y S Dadwal, Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

As for the threat perceptions in the sports arena of the sub-continent, gunmen ambushed the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore in March, raising concerns that sport could become a target in the region.

Later, England pulled out of the World Badminton Championships held in India by citing a ’specific terrorist threat’.

However, the tournament went off smoothly and consequently, the British Sports Minister expressed regret to his Indian counterpart.

Speaking on the preparedness of the venues for the Commonwealth Games, Sindhushree Khullar, India’s Sports Secretary mentioned that all the venues will be definitely ready well in time.

Delhi had bagged the contract after beating the Canadian city Hamilton in the bid for the games.

The Games will be staged in India for the first time and in Asia for the second time. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be India’s first major international sports event after the 1982 Asian Games.

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has committed its support to Canadian athletes competing in Commonwealth Games.

The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has committed its support to Canadian athletes competing in the October 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Over the next ten months, the ICCC will support the efforts of the Commonwealth Games Foundation Canada (CGCF) to facilitate the "Dream it in Delhi" campaign - an initiative which will help send approximately 250 Canadian athletes to compete against more than 70 other nations and territories at the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, October 3 to 14, 2010.

"We are committed to supporting these world-class athletes who will represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games," said Asha Luthra, ICCC President. "The ICCC and CGC share an important common goal: promoting and improving the relationship between Canada and India. We are proud to support Canadian performance on the international stage, and the strengthening of this relationship through sport."

On November 20, the ICCC kicked off its campaign for Canada's athletes at its Holiday Gala Dinner Dance in Toronto.

The ICCC's donations will contribute to the CGC's Adopt-an-Athlete program, which covers expenses related to travel and accommodation, medical services, team uniform, and media operations, among other costs. The ICCC joins several companies and organizations that have already made a donation to the program.

"We are thrilled that the ICCC has extended its support for Canadian athletes," said Krista Benoit, Director of Corporate Development of the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada. "This partnership is an obvious fit, and ICCC's investment in Canada's athletes will help to contribute to our goal of best-ever performances at the Games in Delhi, India."

Members of the public are invited to contact CGC or visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for details on how to contribute to the "Dream it in Delhi" fundraising campaign.

Ghaziabad police will install GPRS system in all its patrolling vehicles to better tackle crime in the city ahead of the Commonwealth Games

Concerned over the deteriorating law and order situation in the city, Additional Director General (Technical) Dev Raj Nagar said a foolproof monitoring system would be introduced in teh city soon.

He announced that the entire police control room system would be equipped with GPRS - the general packet radio service.

Dev Raj Nagar asked Senior Ssuperintendent of Police Akhil Kumar to submit a detailed proposal of Integrated Control System (ICS) involving a cost of Rs.2.17 crore.

As part of the system, each police vehicle would be equipped with GPRS system.

The new ICS will link all police vehicles to the Police Control Room at Kotwali. The location of each vehicle would be available with the control room at any given point of time.

'This would tremendously increase the beat patrolling and lead to an enhanced vigil. The scheme was to be implemented much earlier but could not be pursued,' said a senior officer of Ghaziabad police.

The new system will be implemented before the Commonwealth Games, the officer added.

GPRS is a value added service which provides a wide range of bandwidth.

India to promote safety of women and child visitors

With an eye to the Commonwealth Games 2010, India will soon launch an initiative to create awareness about providing a safe and friendly environment to foreigners, especially women and children.

The initiative ‘Safe and Honourable Tourism’ will especially focus on creating awareness among various stakeholders, including taxi drivers, auto drivers and hotel staff.

The idea is to promote a safe environment for women and children, who will be coming to India during the Commonwealth Games next year, a tourism official told IANS.

The decision to launch the initiative was taken Monday at a meeting chaired by union Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee with the Indian chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a non-profit travel trade association, which has networks around the world.

“We will soon come out with an action plan for all service providers. This is one step through which we will be able to highlight that we believe in responsible and sustainable tourism,” the tourism official said.

“The code of conduct will be out in six months time,” he added.

“This kind of programme will also add more value to the Incredible India campaign,” the official added. The Incredible India campaign, which has earned accolades globally, showcases India’s beautiful holiday destinations.

The ministry will also rope in the National Commission for Women, the apex body that protects and promotes the interests of women in the country, on what kind of awareness and sensitisation programmes should be carried out.

“It was decided that sensitisation programmes and awareness campaigns should be immediately launched,” the official said.

Also, present at the meeting were representatives from the Save the Children, a leading child rights organisation and United Nations on Drugs and Crime, a UN body fighting against illegal drugs.

Detectives may be used during Commonwealth Games

Private snooping agents may be used to carry out special checks on violation of Intellectual Property Rights on official trademarks and brand merchandise of the Commonwealth Games next year to avoid monetary loss to the tune of crores of rupees.

The organising committee of the games has explored the possibility with the private detectives association.

The spies will garner information from around the national capital region where small industrial units and individuals are said to indulge in manufacturing of duplicate and fake logos, symbols, sporting gear, apparels and other goods bearing official holograms and symbols.

"Violation of trademark and proprietary insignia dents the monetary interests of the official partners and business houses who put in huge sums of money to obtain sponsorship rights of such events," Chairman of the Association of Private Detectives and Investigators Kunwar Vikram Singh said.

"The brand protection cell of the organising committee of Commonwealth Games has spoken to us about the issue. We assured them that our professional snoopers can check the duplication and faking of official trademark and logos efficiently," he said.

The detectives, after deploying techniques of detection, identification, curtailment and prevention take help of the police to conduct searches at unauthorised premises resulting into arrests and seizures.

Singh, who also heads the Central Association of Private Security Industry, said the trademark violation is an area of concern for the organisers of such huge events.

"A delegation of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 had even come down here and inquired about the IPR violations and their remedial measures," Singh said.

The Organising Committee (OC) of the CWG, in a public notice issued earlier had said, "it has recently come to our notice that some organisations/persons who are not authorised are using these marks (official CWG logos) in respect of their products and services. These unscrupulous organisations and persons are thus cashing in on the goodwill and reputation of OC of CWG Delhi 2010 besides diluting the brand equity attached to these marks.

Any person indulging in unlawful use of the mentioned marks and any unscrupulous organisation/person who fails to desist from using the trademarks... and continues to conduct business... will be dealt with...," it added.

According to experts, money spinning events like the CWG are prone to such intellectual data theft as the activities are spread over countries and fetch revenues worth crores.

Fake bags, stationery, replicas and even merchandise are flooded in the markets before the start and during the games, they said.

Commonwealth Games Venues will be ready by March: Central Public Works Department (CPWD) chief

With less than a year left for Commonwealth Games 2010, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the agency carrying out renovation and up gradation of five stadium, is determined to complete work on the sporting venues by March next year.

Newly-appointed director general of CPWD Bhishm Kumar Chug told TOI, "All the venues will be ready by March next year. Major thrust is on timely completion of work."

According to an urban development ministry report, by September, 64 per cent work had been completed in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN), the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies. In case of Indira Gandhi (IG) Stadium, 56 per cent work had been done.

With a new time line in place, the CPWD chief was confident that both JLN and IG stadium would be ready by March, claiming construction work was going on at renewed pace. "Construction work is going on in double shift now," Chug said.

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which has achieved 89 per cent completion, would be ready by November whereas Karni Singh Shooting Range with 64 per cent completion, would be ready by December.

Now Waste Plastic to Strengthen Roads

Government of Delhi started its initiative for a cleaner environment banning plastic bags some time before, now in a new move the waste plastic will be used to build roads in Delhi and NCR. Read on...

To ensure a smooth ride during the Commonwealth Games, Public Works Department (PWD) is going to use waste plastic technology to resurface a total of 242-km road length in the city at a cost of around Rs 250 crore. The new technology will ensure longevity of the roads.

Minister, PWD, Rajkumar Chauhan on Friday inaugurated the resurfacing work of roads in south Delhi. He said: "Special attention is being paid to roads leading to Games venues. All Delhi roads will be built using international technology.'' The waste plastic technology involves mixing waste plastic and bitumen. This ensures greater longevity and flexibility of roads.

Work on strengthening the roads using waste plastic and micro-surfacing technology has begun on 71-km road length under PWD in south Delhi and 32-km of roads in east Delhi. The technology has already been used to resurface around 60km of the roads in Delhi. This technology will help take care of plastic waste in the city.

Resurfacing of key roads in south Delhi using waste plastic technology will cost around Rs 33.22 crore. These roads include Airport area, Rama Road, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, IGP Slip Road, Bhairon Marg, Okhla Estate Marg no-13, Bhakti Vedanta Marg, Anuvrat Marg, etc. According to PWD officials, the resurfacing of roads will be completed by June 2010.

"Plastic technology is eco-friendly and consumes less material. The thickness is raised by only 10-15mm and such roads would last up to seven years,'' added Chauhan.

Said PWD secretary K K Sharma: "The bitumen melts at higher temperatures during summer and when mixed with plastic it adds to the flexibility and durability of roads.''

Besides waste plastic technology, PWD is also using in-situ technology to resurface roads and a 100 crore project has already been approved by the government. Under in-situ technology, raw material on the surface of the road is removed, heated and after adding some amount of new material it is used again for re-laying of road. This helps in maintaining the level of the road and is eco-friendly as well.

Yamuna Expressway to be completed before Games

The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated Metro services in Delhi few days before. Now the senior official is eyeing the revenue which the commonwealth games can generate for UP, so they want to finish other projects as well before games.

Intending to make Yamuna Expressway a growth engine for all future development of the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued directives that the expressway be completed and open to traffic before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Sticking to the time schedules, the concessionaire of the project Jaypee Infratech is working at neck breaking speed, having completed almost 80% of the earthwork and starting off with concreting from Noida end.

Speaking to FE on condition of anonymity, an official of the state government said lot of prestige is associated with the project as it will be the first infrastructure development project that would finally see the light of the day during the two-and-a half year reign of chief minister Mayawati. In a way it would be the yardstick by other developers for investing in the state.

The chief minister has many more ambitious plans for the state, all of which would either revolve around Yamuna Expressway or would be fostered by it. With land for the entire 165-km expressway already available with the developer, a massive workforce of around 10,000 people has been pumped in to work round the clock to complete the mega project. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 10000 crore.

The expressway, which will cross the five districts of Gautambudh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hathras), Mathura and Agra, will have six interchanges from point zero at Noida. Apart from these interchanges, other structures like car tracks, pedestrian pathways, canals, bridges and underpasses are also being constructed simultaneously.

A senior official of the Yamuna Expressway Authority said a total of six toll plazas are being proposed. While there would be two each at Gautambudh Nagar and Mathura, Aligarh and Agra would have one toll plaza each.

The project, which is being constructed on build operate transfer PPP basis, will be maintained and operated by the concessionaire during the entire concession period of 36 years and after expiry of the concession period, it shall be handed over to the authority. An official of the company stated that the toll amount is being worked upon and no final shape has been given to it yet.

Government Seeking Private Players for tourist bus services

The Delhi government is looking to rope in a private player to fund its hop-on-hop-off bus services for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

According to Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, bids for the bus service will be announced by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). “The initiative will be in partnership with Delhi Tourism, but the basic funding will be provided by the private player, who will supply the buses and bear the costs,” Mehta said.

Though the government had originally planned running double-decker buses along the lines of the services provided in London and Paris, Mehta said that with the Games deadline closing in, the government plans to run only ordinary buses for now. “Buses in line with specifications meant for Delhi will have to be planned, so we will begin with ordinary buses and take it from there,” Mehta said.

To be initiated on the lines of tourist bus services in London and Paris, the hop-on-hop-off service has buses running along pre-defined routes that connect the city’s heritage sites, museums and cultural spots. Tourists will have to buy a consolidated ticket and will have the option of boarding a bus at any of the tourist spots along the route and get off at their convenience.

DDA Cancelled Contract for not meeting Deadline

With six months left to the deadline, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) seems to have decided to become a strict paymaster. It has terminated the contract of the consortium building the practice areas in the Commonwealth Games Village, a first for the land agency in a Games-related project. The reason: failure to meet expectations and norms as per the agreement. Now, DDA plans to implement the project itself.

Admitted Neemo Dhar, spokesperson for the DDA, "We rescinded the contract as the terms of the agreement were not being met. The DDA will now implement the project through sub-contractors.'' The decision comes barely months before the deadline June 2010. The internal deadline for the agency's contractors is, incidentally, March 2010. The consortium Sportina Payce Infrastructure Pvt Ltd was to build the practice venues within the Commonwealth Games Village, including the swimming, wrestling and athletic tracks as well as the field area for hammer throw and other facilities. With the termination however, DDA will have to step into the breach, admitted officials.

Sources in the land agency claimed that one of the primary reasons for the termination was the consortium’s inability to provide adequate labor, resulting in unmet deadlines. A senior DDA official said, "The contractor had been engaged last year but deadlines were not being met consistently. Despite repeated warnings, there was no improvement, so the contract had to be terminated.'' Despite repeated attempts, officials from Sportina Payce were not available for comments.

Said a senior official, "We expect the work to continue without a hitch as the sub-contractors will remain the same, only they will be working for us directly now.'' Officials said that work on the venues had already started under the agency in order to meet the March deadline. "It is a tough task, especially as a large part of the work still needs to be done. With DDA directly handling the project, it is expected that the project will get back on track, though the internal March deadline may not be a possibility,'' added the official.

Its not the first time that work at the Village has come to a grinding halt due to differences with the contractor. Earlier this year, lack of funds had prompted Emaar MGF, the consortium in-charge of the Village construction, to stop work at the site. While DDA had eventually rescued the consortium at that time with a financial bailout, the interruption had resulted in delay of the project. This time, DDA is hoping that the termination of the contractor will not have an impact, despite the fact that only four months are left to the internal deadline.

2014 Commonwealth Games venues 'behind schedule'

Key venues for the 2014 Commonwealth Games are behind schedule for completion and ministers have not formed a plan for handling future problems, auditors have found.

A report by Audit Scotland said the new national indoor sports arena is being delayed, along with the revamp of the national swimming centre in Glasgow.

The report was written before organisers admitted this week there was £81 million ‘black hole’ in the event’s budget, but predicted the original £373 million cost could escalate.

It highlighted “unrealistic assumptions” by officials and warned that, with public spending facing a squeeze, cutbacks may have to be made.

All the venues are expected to be built in time for the games, but the report warned there is not much margin for error as some are scheduled for completion just a few months beforehand.

Scottish ministers have also failed to draw up a risk management plan to help ensure there are no further cost overruns.

Bill Aitken, a Tory Glasgow MSP, said: “Unless a firm hand is exercised, this project could spiral out of all control.”

Ross Finnie, Scottish Liberal Democrat sport spokesman, said: “The report confirms our fears that Monday’s storm of excuses for the budget increase won’t be the last.

“We’re likely to see the budget creep up and the Scottish government’s budget will have to be raided to plug the gaps.”

The report found new venues, such as the national indoor sports arena and the velodrome, are running behind completion estimates of March 2010 by 21 months.

The Cathkin Braes cycling course is now expected to be complete in March 2012, almost three years late, and the refurbishment of Glasgow Green hockey complex is not due to be completed until March 2013, 18 months late.

Meanwhile, the finishing date for the Kelvingrove bowls complex has slipped from September 2010 to August 2012.

And the refurbishment of the national swimming centre in Glasgow has been delayed from December 2011 until June 2012. The athletes' village is not due be ready until February 2014.

Hampden Park is due to host track and field events and the closing ceremony, while the triathlon will be held at Strathclyde Country Park.

Although refurbishment of both are on schedule has not been delayed, they will not be ready until March 2014, four months before the games start.

For this reason, the report noted the two venues and the athletes’ village “present a higher risk if there is any delay to their current timescales.”

“The experience of previous major capital projects is that there is a high risk of slippage, therefore these should also be closely monitored,” it concluded.

“Potentially unrealistic assumptions” included the level of sponsorship for the Games. The £81 million cost overrun announced this week was blamed on the income from the sale of TV rights being overestimated.

Caroline Gardner, Deputy Auditor General for Scotland, said organisers “need to continue to monitor and review the budget assumptions regularly.”

The Scottish Executive said the report provided a “snapshot” of planning for the Games until August this year, and “substantial progress” had been made since.

Delhi hardsells 2010 Games at its pavilion

Inaugurating the Delhi Pavillion at the 29th India International Trade Fair, chief minister Sheila Dikshit took the opportunity to build momentum for the Commonwealth Games 2010 also the theme for this year's Delhi Pavillion. With Games mascot Shera dancing away at the entrance and the stalls inside highlighting all development works being carried out in the city, visitors will get a glimpse of the changing face of Delhi.

"The theme has been selected with an aim to get ready for a big international sports event. The pavillion will help inculcate a sense of pride among people so that Delhi can host a successful Commonwealth Games,'' Dikshit said.

The Delhi Pavillion is showcasing the all-round development that has taken place in the city over the past 10 years. From Metro, AC buses to infrastructure development, visitors get a glimpse of all under one roof. Industries minister Haroon Yusuf, finance minister Dr AK Walia and health minister Prof Kiran Walia accompanied Dikshit around the pavillion.

The chief minister stated that due to constraints of space, the state government has not been able to put up enough stalls to showcase its achievements in all the major fields. "However, achievements in the field of Mission Convergence, environment, education, transport, health, water supply, IT, industries, social welfare, art & culture, bhagidari, etc, have been disseminated in a forceful manner,'' she emphasised.

A stall put up by the Tihar Central Jail attracted visitors in large numbers. A number of private traders and companies have also put up their stalls which are selling handicraft items among other things.

Later at a press conference, the CM stated that the first ever industrial policy of Delhi was almost ready and will be cleared by the Cabinet and brought before the legislative Assembly. This will be first ever industrial policy of Delhi after the capital was given the present set up of a legislative Assembly and a council of ministers.

The new policy would concentrate on IT, service sector and electronic industries as non-polluting industry is allowed to be set up in the Capital city. Dikshit expressed confidence that the new industrial policy will give fillip to economic development.

Big budget security revamp for railway stations in Delhi, NCR

Within a year, important railway stations in and around the Capital will boast of security similar to the snazzy airports.

Work on a massive upgrade of the security arrangement at the 10 most important stations in Delhi and its neighbourhood has started with a sanctioned budget of more than Rs 23 crore.

Apart from mega-terminal stations like New Delhi, Old Delhi and Nizamuddin, satellite stations such as Ghaziabad and Anand Vihar too will come under the comprehensive security net.

The scale of the work -- with access control, scanning of baggage and interception and screening of vehicles to explosives-detection and disposal -will turn the stations into virtual fortresses.

The Integrated Security System, as the upgrade work is called, gains importance because of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"We will be comfortably ready for the Commonwealth Games.
The sheer enormity of the deployment of security systems acts as a deterrent," said Vivek Sahai, general manager of Northern Railway.

Once the system is in place, all baggage will be screened through X-ray machines eliminating the need for manual check.

More security personnel will be carrying handheld metal and explosive detectors, while automatic machines will scan cars for bombs.

In terms of volume, it is a tenfold increase in the security arrangement. The salient feature of the plan is to bring the smaller stations like Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Delhi Cantonment and Shadara into the integrated security plan.

"The smaller stations have been the vulnerable spots in railway security, compromising the security of the bigger stations as well. Now we will plug those holes," said a senior railway official.

More than 223 security cameras are being brought in to weave a network of electronic surveillance .

Sahai said the revamp would also help during the Kumbh Mela, the biggest congregation of humans in the world, next year.

"The massive number of people using railways across North India will put tremendous pressure on security. The new system will help tackle that rush easily," he said

Handsoff Approach- Labourers Find Work Prospects At Games Sites Disappointing

Vinod Mistry is sitting at a labour chowk--a place where men gather in search of construction jobs --in south Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur neighbourhood. He hasn't found work in the six days he has waited at the spot for a contractor to hire him.
Mistry is surrounded by 10 other men, all from villages around Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

Nearly 200 more men are waiting similarly at various points on the road that leads from Kotla Mubarakpur to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where a Rs550 crore renovation is under way for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games. It's already 11am, and it looks like most of them will have to go another day without work.

"We used to get between 15 and 20 days of work (every month) till a year ago. But this year has been bad, we're getting much less work," says Mistry, 30, who has left his wife and children behind in his village and come to the capital for work.

With less than a year left, work is being accelerated on Commonwealth Games venues and city infrastructure as New Delhi prepares to host its biggest sporting spectacular since the 1982 Asian Games. For construction workers, though, it hasn't meant boom times.

At least Rs3,100 crore was going to be spent on the renovation of the 10 main games venues, and if expenditure on ancillary projects such as the construction of flyovers, roads and hotels was taken into account, the total spending was forecast to be above Rs25,000 crore. Besides generating jobs for a significant percentage of an estimated 800,000 construction workers--migrants settled in Delhi--the building binge could have been the perfect opportunity to register labourers, standardize wages and improve working conditions, activists say. That hasn't happened.

Less than 10km away from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is Shivaji Stadium, another Games venue, where a worker from Assam peers through a gap in the tall barricades that surround the construction site.
The guards positioned at the site gates don't let construction workers leave without the permission of their subcontractor.

The worker, who didn't want to be identified says he has assured work, but that it pays only Rs110 a day, well below both the minimum wage of Rs140, and the prevailing rate at the labour chowks. It's also much below the rate proclaimed by a sign painted on one of the barricades that says "Contractor: China Railway Shisiju Group Corporation, labour per day: Rs145".

"The conditions are tough", the worker says. "We can be made to work at any time of day or night, there's no overtime, and a hut made of a few tin sheets houses an entire family."

The human factor In anticipation of such a situation, Citizens for Workers, Women and Children (CWGCWC), a coalition of 20 individuals and organizations, was created a little over two years ago.

The members came from diverse backgrounds, including trade unions, non-government organizations working with children, researchers and government officials. Their goal, as Devika Singh, one of the founder-members, puts it was to "look at the human factor in big construction".

Subhash Bhatnagar of Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam (NMPS), a trade union, has been at the forefront of the campaign. His small office in Rohini, far from the hubbub of central and south Delhi where most of the Commonwealth Games action is focused, is cluttered with hundreds of files.

According to Bhatnagar, there's been an influx of nearly 150,000 migrants from across the country into New Delhi who have an advantage over locals when it comes to construction jobs--they can be paid less, made to work longer and are unlikely to protest or create trouble.

"Exactly the same thing happened during the Asian Games, the only difference is that today we have a detailed set of laws that looks after the welfare of construction workers." He's referring to the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Act (BOCW Act) that was passed way back in 1996.

The very comprehensive Act requires builders to register their workers and stipulates that any organization doing construction work involving more than Rs10 lakh should deposit between 1% and 2% of the total with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.

It also looks at on-site safety measures, facilities for workers and their children, provides for pensions, financial assistance to meet medical expenses, and school scholarships for children. Till date the board has collected at least Rs300 crore, of which Rs150 crore is from Games-related projects.

The Games, Bhatnagar believes, were Delhi's best shot at implementing the provisions of the Act. The construction was concentrated at a manageable number of sites, and since most of the work was being done by government agencies, monitoring would have been easier.
Wasted opportunity While the Act does not deal directly with wages, it would have allowed the government to keep track of the number of workers involved in every project, and, therefore, indirectly of the wages. The cost associated with providing "decent" living facilities, as required by the Act, could have deterred contractors from relying solely on immigrant labour.

But the welfare board has so far registered only 18,000 workers, says a member of the board who did not want to be named. Rules require that these registrations be renewed every three months. But most workers find it difficult to take time off to do that, with the result that most have lapsed.

The board has neither hired any dedicated staff nor does it have an office. It relies on organizations such as NMPS and Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) to register workers. It has so far processed two applications for pensions and distributed 10 scholarships.

Board members accuse the builders of not cooperating in the registration of workers. f Builders are reluctant to part with information about their workers, says one member, since "they're afraid that they will be held accountable for them or that they (workers) will be poached by other l builders".

When asked about the number of registered workers at the Commonwealth Games village site, Emaar MGF Land Ltd said that the information was only available with Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd, the main contractor on the site. Ahluwalia Contracts chief executive officer Arun Sahai, however, referred Mint back to Emaar MGF.

H.S. Pasricha of the Builders Association of India lobs the ball right back into the board's court. The Builders Association, he says, has been trying to provide workers more facilities. It's the lack of staff with the board that is the problem.
By the time it processes a worker's application, the worker has often been shifted to another site.

"Some builders ask us why they should register workers and pay their registration fee, when the worker is quite likely to shift to another contractor in a month's time?" No access Access to the sites has also been a problem. Board members claim that while they're responsible for the labourers on these sites, they don't have access to them since the sites belong to Union government agencies such as the Sports Authority of India and Central public works department.

NGOs that have tried to access the workers at the Commonwealth Games sites have also had a difficult time.

"The sites are like fortresses," says Anjali Alexander of Mobile Creches, which runs a crèche for workers' children at the Jawaharlal Nehru and Shivaji stadiums. "It has taken us three-four months just to get access to the sites, after which it takes a month to set up the crèche."

The end result is that there is still no real monitoring mechanism in place.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed workers at Delhi's 700 or so labour chowks is slowly increasing.

And, a study released by CWC in October says the immigrant workers at the Games sites continue to be exploited.
"Most work for 9 hours or more; violation of workers' rights to minimum wage is widespread; and less than 1% of them have heard of the wel are board."

"It's an opportunity lost," says Alexander. If the Games venues are to be ready on time the bulk of the construction workers will have to be out by February 2010. "All we've real y achieved is to bring some issues to the fore."

The Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee has adopted a hands-off approach to the labour issue. When asked, Sudhir Sobti, director of communications, said he was unaware of any effort by the commitee to monitor the condition of workers at the Games venues.