CM, Kalmadi throw open CWG wrestling venue

Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and IOA president Suresh Kalmadi today unveiled the first wrestling venue for this year's Commonwealth Games at the Ludlow Castle school here, and assured that the other work for the October 3-14 mega event would ''come up well before the time''.

''We have completed the work for this stadium before time, the last venue decided for the games became the one to be fully prepared,'' Ms Dikshit said at the inauguration of the Ludlow Castle wrestling training venue. ''I congratulate Arora constructions for their superb work and made it possible on a short span.'' ''I am sure everything will be in place in time and I can ensure that the other venues will come up well before the games start,'' she told mediapersons. ''Our Assembly is very nearby to this venue so whenever we feel like doing wrestling, we will come here,'' she joked.

India came under severe criticism after construction of several venues, including the athletes' village, fell behind schedule, forcing the postponement or shifting of many international meets planned as test events.

The Chief Minister admitted that completing the rest of the work in such a short period of time would be a tough job. ''Now only eight months are left and we need to complete so much work, it would be tough.'' As India is much interested in watching cricket, Kalmadi said people should now focus on Commonwealth Games to make it a grand success.

''Cricket is played within 10 nations and in CWG as many as 200 countries take part. It is a big event people should now focus on these games not only cricket,'' Kalmadi said.

The CWG Organising Committee chief further claimed that Delhi will host the Games more successfully than Manchester and Melbourne. ''The Delhi Games would be better than Melbourne (2006) and Manchester (2002).'' The under-fire Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, who has faced all-round criticism for delays in construction work at the Games' venues, said the success of the event would also reflect in India's performance. ''The success will help Delhi become a tourist attraction.'' He futher urged Delhiites to follow traffic rules so that the participants coming from abroad should not have bad impression about the capital city.

''Delhi needs to follow traffic rules then only can we make this event a grand success,'' Kalmadi said.

There is an athlete lounge, change rooms, sports equipments room, medical and physiotherapy, fitness and gym, cafeteria, conference room at ground floor of the Ludlow Castle wrestling venue.

In the first floor, there is a maple wood sports flooring to accomodate six wrestling mats (12X12m each). The building is centrally air conditioned. Elevated at a cost of Rs 13 crore is an amalgamation of granite and fabricated steel, the venue conforms to international standard.

PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, Education and Transport Minister Arvinder Singh and MLA Prahlad Singh Sahni were among others present in the occasion.