Commonwealth Games panel concerned at revised dates for venues

The Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Commission (CoCom) Wednesday expressed concern at the deadline for the completion of venues being extended by at least three months, and cautioned that further delays could compromise final preparations for the Oct 3-14 mega event.

The CoCom, chaired by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) treasurer Austin Sealy, completed its review of Delhi's preparedness for the 2010 Games.

"The commission was concerned that the deadline for venue completion has, in most cases, been extended by at least three months since the September forecast. And in some cases, it seems venues will not be handed over to the Organising Committee (OC) until June," Sealy said in a statement.

"We request the construction agencies to ensure that there are no further delays as this will place the OC in a difficult position and compromise final preparations and Games readiness," he said.

"As for the other outcomes of our meetings, a series of actions have been identified by the CoCom and will be summarised in the Commission's final report."

The deadline for the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, has been twice revised. The stadium is the venue for athletics, weightlifting and lawn balls. The athletics facility will be the last to be completed and June 30 has been set as the new deadline.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, scheduled to host gymnastics, cycling and wrestling, is also behind schedule as construction for the cycling velodrome started late. The deadline for completion of the venue is March 31.

The sports infrastructure is being handled by different government agencies. Of the 17 disciplines, nine will be held in stadiums of Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Sealy said he was, however, pleased to see that there was clear progress in a number of areas since September.

"There was a sense of energy and urgency from Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the OC, and the entire Delhi team about getting on with the job, which is a positive, and it is clear that everyone is committed to see a successful Games."

"We received detailed reports from the OC on key areas where we had previously identified delivery risks. These reports show an increased awareness of the work that must be undertaken," Sealy said.

"Each session was extensive, with opportunities for us to question the OC and government and to provide feedback. There was a sharing of infomation."

Sealy said there has been noticeable progress since CGF president Michael Fennell's visit to India in October.

"However, with only nine months remaining, the intensity must continue, and in fact, works must be further accelerated," he said.

The commission received detailed presentations from a range of key functional areas, including accreditation, village operations, security, technology, transport and venue operations.

Sealy also undertook visits to all competition venues.

The CoCom will now report to the CGF and the OC. Fennell will be arriving in Delhi Friday to have discussions with the key members of the OC on the critical issues that have been identified by the CoCom.