A Park For 2010 Visitors, Trees From All Participating Nations Will Be Planted Here

THE ATHLETES will, of course, be there, striving to bring glory to the countries they represent. Fluttering in stadiums and along roads will also be the flags of participating countries.

Well, visiting countries will be represented by much more than just their athletes and flags during the Commonwealth Games next year -- like, for instance, by trees.

Amid all the talk about climate change, the New Delhi Municipal Council or NDMC has come up with the perfect idea: a Commonwealth Games park where trees representing the 71 countries that will participate in the event will be planted.

The park, spread over 2.5 acre, is coming up at the junction of Africa Avenue road and Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Marg.

" We will plant such trees that originated in those nations.

These trees will be flown in from those countries. Trees representing a country will be planted at one place," an NDMC official said.

Trees such as eucalyptus representing Australia and pelto phorum representing South Africa will be planted among others.

NDMC officials said the saplings will be planted in patches earmarked for the participating countries.

One portion of the park will also be dedicated to trees from Caribbean countries such as Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, among others.

" To give true meaning to the park, we have thought of this concept. It will be a delight for the delegates when they visit the park during the Commonwealth Games," the official said.

It would be a truly green park in the sense that even the boundary will be of green hedges rising up to 10 feet and not bricks. " Visitors will hardly see any concrete, which will be used where it is absolutely necessary such as the walkways," the official added.

There will be more than just trees at the park. There will be flowerbeds, a butterfly park where flowers that attract butterflies will be planted, four huge lawns, a lily pond and wooden benches for visitors.

Greeting the visitors will also be Shera, the Games mascot.

The NDMC is spending Rs 60 lakh on the project. According to the NDMC official, a rectangular vacant land of the council was being developed for the park. Currently, digging work is going on and new soil layers are being laid.

" We want to show our best to the visitors, so we have put our best horticulture employees on the job and had the best people conceptualise the park," the official said. More than 50 people are working on the project right now.

The new green cover of the park will be considerably helpful in reducing the pollution of surrounding areas such as Sarojini Nagar, Kidwai Nagar and Chanakyapuri, among others.

The park is expected to be ready one month before the Commonwealth Games.

" We wanted more land for the park but were able to get only 2.5 acre. Still, it will be a treat for the eyes," the official said

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.

Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill confident

After visiting the Indira Gandhi Stadium complex here on Monday, Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill expressed confidence that the gymnastics, wrestling and cycling venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games would be ready sooner than later.

There had been a lot of speculation over the timely completion of the cycling velodrome, construction of which had begun only in January this year following several technical disputes.

So far, the main structure of the velodrome has been erected and the pre-fabricated indoor hall, to be fitted into the main structure, is being readied at a different place.

“The cycling velodrome is impressive, God willing we will finish it in time. People should be patient,” Gill told the media.

Praising the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and CPWD officials for the decent pace of the construction work, the Minister said, “In spite of the time loss (after India got the Games in 2003), we will complete the work in good time.”

“Maximum of the work will be finished by December (this year). At best, it will be finished by January or February next year,” he added.

Gill was impressed with the architecture of the structures. “These are mighty complex engineering and architectural structures and are amazing to look at. I have not seen such Stadia anywhere in the country. These are no less in comparison to that in Beijing,” he said.

The total cost of the project, constructed over an area of 80 acre, is Rs. 675 crore and the target date for completion is March 31 next year. — Sports Reporter

Va Tech all set to pipe ‘ultra pure' water for Commonwealth Games

Nearly 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 Common Wealth Games Associations will be provided with ‘ultra pure' water at the 19 {+t} {+h} Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in Delhi during October 3-14, 2010.

Providing pure water was one of the main conditions laid down by the Games' committee, according to Mr Rajiv Mittal, Managing Director, Va Tech Wabag, which has put up the water treatment plant. The technology used at the water treatment plant will be “unique as we have used two-layered membrane process to make ultra pure for the first time in this country for drinking water,” he told newspersons.

“During the 1982 Asian Games only ordinary tap water was made available to all. However, at the CWG, treated water will be made available everywhere, including kitchen and bathrooms,” he said.

The plant will be ready for pre-commissioning in January and is expected to be handed over to the Delhi Jal Board in March. After the Games, the plant will be used to provide pure water to people settling down in the Games village. The scope of the work for VA Tech includes design, construction, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, trial run, one year defect liability and three-year operation and maintenance, he said.

Mr Mittal said the plant would have capacity to produce ‘ultra pure' one million gallon litres of water a day. The village consists of residential blocks, police station, hotels, cyber cafes, gymnasium and a community hall. Additionally, the plant would also cater to the water requirement of the Akshardam Temple.

The plant has been set up on the banks of the river Yamuna. As a back-up, the plant will also have a connection from Sonia Vihar water plant. This will act as a standby source to be utilised if and when the ground water is insufficient in quantity or of low quality.

Mr Mittal said the company was open to acquiring companies that can help VA Tech in future growth in the fields of technology, new markets and BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) opportunities. The company has nearly Rs 300 crore in cash, and has “capacity for acquisition up to Rs 1,000 crore,” he said. “We have appointed advisors, and should do the acquisition in the next six-eight months.”

Goel gets the boot from Games panel

With just 299 days left for the 19th Commonwealth Games to start in Delhi, the Games Organising Committee (OC) has been struck by another controversy.

On Monday, at its annual general body meeting, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi announced the decision to expel former Union Sports Minister and BJP MP Vijay Goel from the membership of the Games Organising Committee “for indiscipline”.

Action against Goel, who has launched a tirade against the OC for “its failure to check delays in the various Games related project and overshooting its budget”, was being contemplated for sometime.

The immediate trigger was the march organised by the former BJP MP on Sunday to highlight “the lack of accountability in the OC’s functioning”.

“It was unbecoming of an OC member to demonstrate with 1,000 people outside the Games headquarters. Goel not only led the demonstrators but also shouted slogans against the OC,” said a senior OC member who did not want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“His conduct has lowered the dignity of the OC. This is not the right platform to voice your concerns. If he had issues with the way OC is functioning, he could have met the chairman and other senior members and discussed the problems.”

Goel, on his part, lashed out against the OC for functioning in a “dictatorial” way.

“What is wrong in raising such critical issues on a public forum? I, as a member, have every right to ask the OC about how it is spending the tax payer’s money,” he said.

“There is no accountability in the OC. Nobody is doing anything to see that crucial games projects get completed on time.”

“I was the Union Sports Minister when India bid for the Commonwealth Games 2003,” he added.

“OC is yet to recruit the 30,000 volunteers. When will it train the volunteers? Is anybody monitoring how OC is spending its budget. In the name of the Games they are just getting the budget sanctioned.”

This is not the first time Kalmadi has invited trouble. In October, he had called the Games federation chief operating officer Mike Hooper “useless” and a “serious impediment”.

He had announced the Indian Olympic Association’s decision to repatriate Hooper back from OC but was later forced to change his decision.

All Blacks eye more success

New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens feels victory in Dubai has set his side up for more success in the long season ahead, which includes the IRB Sevens World Series and next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

However, Tietjens, who is the most successful coach in the history of the Sevens format, has also warned his men against complacency as the circuit is getting tighter between the established and the up-and-coming teams.

The Kiwis beat Samoa 24-12 in Saturday's final at The Sevens, for their first title in just over 18 months. A number of new faces were drafted into Tietjens' side last season and for most of the players, the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens triumph was their first taste of success.

Thrilled to see the Kiwis break their 18-month hoodoo, Tietjens says his side must now ensure they achieve all-round consistency, especially when it comes to making finals regularly.

"We got a big year ahead, eight tournaments in the Series and the Commonwealth Games and this was just the start," said Tietjens after New Zealand collected their sixth Dubai title with a superb effort against a battling Samoa.

"You've got to be out there and work really hard. Starting well is a bonus because if you start slowly it's a real struggle to get up. Consistency is about winning tournaments and also consistency of performance is about doing well. You're never going to win every tournament; it's not going to happen. But you've got to be a real contender when it comes to the series."

Tietjens sees Kenya as a potent threat in the Sevens arena, which he feels is perfect for teams that are looking to surprise.

"Sevens is a pretty tough game now. The bounce of the ball, one mistake can cost you the game. It can actually cost you the opportunity of making a quarterfinal. So many sides are so close today. Kenya are close to beating South Africa, we only beat them at the death here.

"The games were very confrontational, very physical and we won that battle in the contact areas and that to me was the key point in Dubai."

Tietjens' inspirational skipper D.J. Forbes said having tasted success in Dubai his young side will be hungrier at future tournaments.

"I think this is what we needed. Last year, we made three finals but we tripped up and to finally get a win and for some of the boys to actually experience that winning, it will definitely give them a lot of hunger for the next game," Forbes said.

"I guess we were craving that win and to finally get it is definitely a great feeling."

Tomasi Cama, one of four experienced members in Tietjens' side, whose second try in a final arriving in the last minute of play, said even the youngest of members in the squad put themselves on the line in what is now a famous victory purely because of the long drought that ensued after their Scotland Sevens success on the final day of the 2007-08 Series.

"It shows they've got the skill and the keenness to win tournaments and I hope we will carry on from there," he said.

Gill checks up on progress of velodrome

The cycling velodrome coming up at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex, it seems, will be able to beat all odds and be ready for the handover to the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games by March next year.

On Monday sports minister MS Gill visited the venue and went around the velodrome, the main stadium as well as the wrestling hall and viewed a presentation by the CPWD engineers. “I am happy with the determination and commitment by the organisations involved in the renovation and construction of these units. Things are really looking up, especially the velodrome is very impressive and could well be an architectural marvel,” he said.

“The outer concrete structure and the steel-roofing arches are all in place but a lot of work is still to be done,” admitted the minister. He said he was sure that the “deadline will be met by February or March.” He would not, however, say when the velodrome would be handed over. “The Games are only next October. So what if they complete the job by February or March? They will be ready in good time,” he insisted.

Initially, there was a bit of confusion when the actual construction started at the velodrome as the International Cycling Union wanted a covered, air-conditioned velodrome while the Games organisers were going for the old, conventional type. But after the Commonwealth Games Federation stepped in, the matter was sorted out.

As for the main complex, where gymnastics will be held, the new air-conditioned ducts are in place, the passage to the stands have been widened, giving easy and quick access inside as well as outside.

Keeping in mind the need of VVIP demands for passes during the Games, the renovation part has taken care of additional seating arrangements on either side of the stadium. This has, however, reduced the ticket-holders capacity by at least 1,000 seats.