We still have a lot of time, Commonwealth Games are in October 2010: Sports Minister MS Gill

Unperturbed by the delay in completion of the venues for the Commonwealth Games, Sports Minister MS Gill today said there was no need to create a commotion as there was still a lot of time before the event kicks off in October next year.

Gill was here at the Indira Gandhi

stadium to take stock of the progress of the venue which will stage the gymnastic, wrestling and cycling events in the Games.

''I know we were behind schedule but we need to make sure that we do not compromise on quality and safety so it it will take time,'' he said.

''Maximum of the work will be finished by December and the rest will be done by January or February and the Games are in October so we still have a lot of time,'' Gill told mediapersons after inspecting the stadium.

He also reiterated his earlier claims that the Commonwealth Games will be a huge success and claimed that all the stadiums and infrastructure for the event will be nothing less than what was witnessed at the Beijing Olympics last year.

The delay in the completion of the venues for the event has drawn a lot of flak for the Organising Committee but Gill made it clear that the Sorts Authority of India (SAI) and the CPWD are the only two organisations responsible for the timely completion of the venues and added that he was satisfied with the way both of them were functioning.

The Minister said he was happy with the way things were going ahead and was confident that the venue will be ready by March next year.

''I have seen Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex comprising Cycling velodrome, Wrestling

and Gymnasium Stadium. ''As I have said before, they are mighty complex engineering structures. The architecture of the Stadiums is very complex and impressive and let me tell you that the stadiums are nothing less than what I saw in Beijing,'' he added.

''Sports Authority of India and CPWD are doing everything and nobody else is involved in it,'' he stressed.

He also added that the work in some of the venues started late but it has picked up the pace and revealed that there were issues with the cycling velodrome which have now been resolved.

''There was a huge debate over the cycling velodrome but we started it only in January 2009 and there was an argument over some issues regarding it.

''I took over in April and everything has been resolved. People should understand what Sports Authority of India and all the engineers are doing and I think they are doing a fine job.'' ''We have highly competent, technically trained people who are no less than any body in the world,'' he noted.