Commonwealth Games test events may be hit

There is a good chance that four Commonwealth Games test events lined up for this month may not be held as per schedule because of unavailability of venues.

An international invitational weightlifting event (July 14 to 16), a Federation Cup cycling event (July 23 to 25), an international swimming meet (July 27 to 31) and an Asian all-star athletics meet (July 29 and 30) are all expected to be postponed because different venues are still not ready.

All venues were scheduled to be completed by June 30 and the officials had been claiming all along that if at all this latest deadline would be missed, it would be only by some days. It is learnt that the venues are still running behind schedule and with less than three months left for the CWG to start, it will be another setback.

“It is not yet clear when these venues will be fit to hold competitions. The rains, too, are likely to have a direct or indirect bearing on the progress,” said an official.

All these events are already behind time, what with the deadlines for sports venues being revised time and again. An Asian youth netball meet, currently on in the environment friendly Thyagaraj Stadium, might remain the only test event scheduled for July to be held as planned.

The athletics and weightlifting events will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium complex, which will also be the venue for the CWG opening and closing ceremonies.

The Indira Gandhi Stadium complex is being prepared for weightlifting and cycling, while the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee complex is being readied for swimming.