TV rights fetch Commonwealth Games organisers $60 million

The 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on Friday said they have earned $60 million -- $20 million more than expected -- as revenue from television rights.

Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said on Friday they had targeted $40 million from selling television rights, but they have already managed $60 million.

"We have crossed our target and we are going to touch $60 million by selling television rights. We have struck a good deal with broadcasters in Australia and Britain by sorting out the timing of the disciplines which are popular in these countries," Kalmadi said.

"CWG is going to be a revenue-neutral event. We have taken $2.6 billion from the government and we will be in a position to repay the amount. We will raise the money through sponsorship, TV rights, merchandising and ticket sales."

Hero Honda will be the presenting partner during the Indian leg of the Queen's Baton Relay.

"We are delighted to have Hero Honda as a partner for CWG. It is an excellent platform to reach out to national and international audiences. I hope more Indian companies will come forward to participate in the spectacle," said Kalmadi.

Pawan Munjal, CEO of Hero Honda, said: "The company is committed to promoting sports in the country. I am hopeful that the Games will inspire an entire generation and leave a lasting legacy for the country."

'Scott Harrison' gym can spark Commonwealth Games gold rush

IN unveiling the Scott Harrison School of Boxing, Peter Harrison has revealed his belief that the new state-of-the-art facility, named after his former world champion son, will inspire Scotland to a record-breaking haul of five gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Harrison, recognised as one of the best boxing coaches Scotland has produced, is adamant having the name of his controversial offspring on the door of the new £300,000 gym in the east end of Glasgow will inspire rather than repel a new generation of fighting talent as "boys will want to punch the same bag that a champion has punched."

Harrison's son Scott – under his father's tutelage – won the WBO world featherweight championship in 2002 but has seen both his professional and personal life unravel in recent years as he struggles to cope with depression and alcohol addiction, leading to spells behind bars, including the 30-month sentence he is currently serving in Spain.

Despite this, his talents in the ring were seldom in doubt and Harrison Snr hopes to welcome a raft of similarly skilled young talent to his gym in order to launch a home-based assault on the medal tables come 2014. His Glasgow Phoenix Amateur Boxing Club, which has been and will continue to be based in the city's east end, has built up a great reputation, and, as someone who has boxed for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games himself – in Edinburgh in 1970 – he believes that these new premises, located in Glasgow's French Street, will allow Scotland to target as many as five gold medals at the Glasgow Games.

Harrison said: "My job as development coach is to help produce and train talent for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and this move will be a massive step forward. People think this is just a gym, but it's not until they go into it that they realise what it will actually do. The group I'm concentrating on will be eligible for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and that's the people I'm trying to produce training camps for and get prepared. I honestly believe we're talking about five gold medals in 2014, which we've never won before."

Speaking about how the gym will be open to members of the public from all walks of life and break down accessibility barriers for people who have disabilities, he added: "I don't think the people involved in making this club happen, like Gateway and Glasgow City Council realise just what they've done, they've actually created a gym that's open to everybody. We've got facilities for women, men, and people in wheelchairs. There's nothing to stop people who are in wheelchairs from coming to the gym and punching a bag."

These new facilities will also boast the only 20ft ring in Scotland, and the former Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist said that will be of a great advantage.

"A good thing for the amateur boxers who are competing just now is that we're going to have a 20ft ring – that's the only ring that size in Scotland. The biggest problem Scottish boxers have got is they box in a 16ft ring, 18ft if they're lucky, and then they go abroad to box in international tournaments and they're in 20ft rings. It's a big difference. You need facilities, and our boxers will have these and benefit from it," said Harrison.

As well as the achievements he has made through coaching, Harrison also had an illustrious career as a boxer, and credits his roots and family for his interest in the sport. He said: "I first got involved in boxing when my grandfather gave me a pair of boxing gloves when I was very young. This got me interested in the sport because it meant that I could spar with people and it just grew from there.

My first amateur club was the Glasgow Transport Club and I started there when I was 15 years old. I stayed there for a couple of years and that's where I spent most of my early boxing life."

From there, his love for boxing grew and he participated in the 1970 Commonwealth Games, getting to the quarter-finals and also took part in the European Championships before that. Despite this success, the one thing that sticks out in his mind is the loss in the Commonwealth Games, because it was in Edinburgh and he was tipped to win gold. Remembering the devastating feeling of defeat, he said: "After the Commonwealth Games, it took me a long time to get over losing and this was made worse because I didn't fight for a few months after it."

When Harrison eventually hung up his gloves, he was approached by a British coach and asked to help promote the sport in schools and youth clubs, and that's when he realised that he wanted to assist youngsters in achieving their potential.

He stated: "I love boxing and there's something in a coach that wants to connect people and coach the best. I had a successful amateur club from 1970-1980 and produced good boxers. I started training Tommy Gilmour's fighters such as Stevie Boyle, British lightweight champion, and a few other champions. I also trained Paul Weir – world light-flyweight champion – and took him to two world titles. In 1992-1993 I started training my son, Scott."

Despite his long association with boxing, Harrison is not content to step back from the ring at the moment because he thrives on training people. He said: "I train everybody. I'm probably recognised as the most successful trainer in the history of Scottish boxing; no other trainer has trained as many boxers for title fights as I have and been successful. I train children at schools, everybody, that's the way a trainer should be."

Hero Honda signs MoU to be official partner for 2010 Commonwealth Games

Hero Honda, country's leading motorcycle manufacturer, on Friday joined hands with the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 (OC CWG Delhi 2010) to be its official partner for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in the national capital.

Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of Organising Committee and Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero Honda, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a formal event held in the national capital.

Addressing the media, Kalmadi termed Hero Honda's initiative as laudable, prompting other corporate and private entities to follow suit.

"I am very happy to take Hero Honda on board because with your associating with us, branding with us. I think it will be encouraging for all the private sector to join us for the Games," Suresh Kalmadi said.

Apart from Hero Honda, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the state-owned largest power generating company, has also signed an agreement with the Games Committee.

Pawan Munjal said it is only natural for Hero Honda to be an active partner in the Games, as it has been actively promoting various disciplines of sports such as cricket, golf and hockey.

"It is only natural that Hero Honda should partner Commonwealth Games 2010 in keeping with our very long term commitment for the promotion of sports across various disciplines across India," Munjal said.

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

The Games will be held between October 3 and 14 next year, and will be staged in India for the first time and in Asia for the second time.

Significant changes in CWG progress: Hooper

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper said on Thursday there have been “significant changes” in the Delhi Games preparations, which were criticised for being behind schedule as recently as October.

The observation comes as a boost for the Organising Committee (OC) ahead of a crucial three-day Coordination Commission Meeting (COCOM), which begins here on Monday to further review the pace of work.

“During the course of the meeting, we will review the progress across a range of function areas. It’s a long process,” Hooper told The Indian Express. “There have been changes, quite significant changes, since October. We will review all that and submit our detailed report to CGF president Mike Fennell.”

Barely two months ago, after the federation's General Assembly meeting in Delhi, Fennell had slammed the Organising Committee (OC) for Games preparations and announced setting up an Independent Technical Review Committee to monitor the progress. The panel, comprising foreign experts, was earlier said to come into effect post Christmas, but the CGF now appears non-committal about it.

‘Fennell to decide’

“There will be discussions about the panel during COCOM, as to when it will start functioning,” said Hooper, adding that only Mike Fennell, who will be in Delhi for the meeting, would decide on the future course of action.

Meanwhile, the Coordination Commission, chaired by Austin Sealy of Barbados, will have seven members, including Hooper, and the OC says it is better prepared this time around.

“We are confident the commission will return satisfied with the progress we have made in the last six months. We have done a lot since the last COCOM in May,” said OC vice-chairman Randhir Singh.

The last time the commission had visited, it had feared in its report that the Games might fail from an operational perspective should there be not change in the functioning of the Organising Committee.

Delhi airport to be fully revamped before Commonwealth Games

Brushing aside scepticism, including that exhibited by Commonwealth Games ederation chief Michael Fennell, about India's ability to host the Games in October 2010, civil aviation secretary Madhavan Nambiar predicted that not only would the New Delhi airport be fully revamped by that time but it would be a state-of-the art facility.Soon after his keynote address at the US-India Aviation Partnership Summit at the Washington Convention Center in Washington DC, Nambiar told rediff.com, although India's airlines were bleeding currently, they would bounce back because of domestic and international travel demands.

The multi-billion purchase of new aircraft from Boeing by Air India was on track despite the national carrier's problems but it might try and negotiate deferred payments and other concessions, he added.

"Refurbishing of the Delhi airport, which encompasses an investment of Rs 10,500 crore (Rs 105 billion), will be fully complete by May 2010," he said.

"The airport would also have 75 aero-bridges", Nambiar added.

He acknowledged that both domestic and international carriers in India were in a bad financial state. "We have to look at this in the background of recession", he said.

"It is a fact that almost all the airlines in India are bleeding. Therefore, there has to be a bit of a pause to consolidate. There has been a recession over capacity. Now every airline is trying to cut costs, is looking at new routes. The next 6 to 8 months are going to be crucial."

In a more optimistic note, Nambiar said, "Now that the domestic traffic has picked up, I think it is the time we revisited the open skies.
"In fact, Jet Airways is talking to United (Airlines) and it's almost finalising the code-share and looking at new routes. I think in the next few months, you will see an opening."

With regard to Air India, he said it was no exception and was also 'bleeding' even as a ministerial body was looking at the nation carrier's restructuring 'both in terms of cost reduction as well as revenue enhancement.'

"The restructuring plan will soon go to the Cabinet where we hope to get an infusion of funds," he added.

Asked if all this could put in limbo Air India's multi-billion deal for the purchase of aircraft from Boeing, Nambiar said, "Basically, it's very clear that Air India has an aging fleet. We do require new aircraft. Thing that needs consideration is how much of the principal payments and interest burden we can take."

"Therefore, we are looking at various options," he said, adding, "We may face some deferment.

"We are looking at the funding that we may get and the kind of financial restructuring we need to do. We should take a final call on the restructuring plan in a couple of months."

Meanwhile, he said India continues to cooperate closely with the US on safety and security issues which 'are primary objectives.'

"We are looking at new SOP's (special operating procedures), we are also keeping a watch on collaborations and international best practices. These are part of an ongoing dialogue."

He said he had and would continue to meet the TSA officials in the US. "We are even looking at having small groups to work on some of the issues and concerns."

Nambiar also said the directorate general of civil aviation had set up a group which is looking into carbon emissions "and we are part of the team on international best practices. There are some templates and this has now become a priority."

He predicted that in the next six months, "we should be having a plan in place and we are talking to all the stakeholders -- the airports, the airlines and others -- because it also has a cost. Given the fact that the airlines are bleeding, it will have to go a little carefully because they can't take on too much of this at this juncture.

NTPC official partner of 2010 Games

NTPC will be the official power partner for the upcoming Commonwealth Games-2010 here. A memorandum of understanding was signed between NTPC and the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.

The MoU was signed by Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and NTPC chairman and managing director R. S. Sharma in the presence of Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

UK gymnasts blame schedule for dropout

Britain’s top gymnasts will not be available for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year, since they will be taking part in the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam in October.

"As with all Olympic sports, the priority for British Gymnastics over the next 36 months, will be to qualify for and compete with distinction at the 2012 Olympic Games. The qualification for this begins at the 2010 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam," Tim Jones, who is Olympic performance director, said.

The Rotterdam championship is scheduled from October 17 next year. "This does result in logistical issues as they are scheduled in extremely close proximity to the Commonwealth Games," Jones added.

British Gymnastics’ performance director Eddie van Hoof had raised concerns about some health issues as well. "It’s not just the travel and jet lag but the potential for tummy bugs and diarrhoea that exists in making the trip. We just cannot afford to take the risk when so much is at stake," he told the Daily Telegraph.

However, BG on Thursday played down that angle and said it would try its best to send a strong team for the Commonwealth Games. But with the top gymnasts busy with Rotterdam preparations, it remains to be seen how they handle the issue.

"British Gymnastics will be looking to ensure that our long-term goals of success in London will not be compromised, whilst at the same time ensuring that the home nations will be in a position to send strong teams to compete at the Commonwealth Games," Jones said on Thursday.