Delay in venue completion distressing, says Fennell

Having put its house in order, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) succeeded in having the controversial Technical Review Committee (TRC) scrapped. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Saturday that it was dropping the institution of TRC after reviewing the ‘improved progress’ in the last two months since the CGF general assembly met in October.

The Games body had announced that the Review Committee would visit Delhi every month from January 2010 for monitoring the progress.

The CGF, however, will continue to provide additional support to the OC through its existing Commonwealth Games Knowledge Management Programme.

“In October, I announced the CGF would be instituting a TRC. However, in view of the current improved status we have agreed it is now more appropriate for the CGF to provide additional ongoing support to the OC through its Games Knowledge Management Programme,” CGF President Michael Fennell said.

However, Fennell called the COCOM's report on the delay in venue completion “distressing.”

Citing the Nehru Stadium and the SPM Aquatics Complex as examples, Fennell said, “Any further delays in venue completion will have an impact upon the conduct of test events and overlay installation.”

Sports minister M S Gill has reassured the CGF president that there would be no more delays and the venues would be delivered by the final deadlines — the Nehru Stadium will be finished by June 2010 and the other sites by March.

Fennell also mentioned that the CGF's support programme would help out the OC in three key areas — venue operations, volunteer programme and Games readiness.

Fennell also said that sufficient resources had been allocated to address the security concerns to ensure the safety of the athletes. OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi was a relieved man. “We will not slacken and will do our best," he said. OC vice-chairman Randhir Singh, who was entrusted with the job of coordinating with the COCOM members sounded satisfied. “The presentation went off well,” said Singh, who was brought in after the OC had a spat with CGF in October.