TVNZ sells 2010 Commonwealth Games rights to Sky

Sky TV and its free-to-air channel Prime will broadcast the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India after buying the rights from Television New Zealand.

Radio New Zealand understands the rights were bought by the pay TV network for about $US4 million - half the amount state broadcaster TVNZ originally paid for them.

TVNZ will not comment on the amount, but says over time the deal will become cost neutral.

Live coverage of the Games in Delhi will be broadcast on Sky Sports channels and Prime, as well as online and mobile TV.

Under the deal, TVNZ will only be allowed to play newsclips and highlights of the Games to held from 3-14 October.

Sky TV chief executive John Fellet says the 12 hours per day of live coverage on Prime will mostly focus on events featuring New Zealand athletes, with broader coverage of the Games shown on Sky Sports.

TVNZ was forced to sell the rights after predicting it would lose about $NZ5 million on the total cost of covering the Games.

Sky To Broadcast The 2010 Commonwealth Games

SKY Television confirmed today that agreement has been reached with TVNZ to purchase the broadcast rights for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games coverage will be available on SKY’s sport channels, free-to-air channel PRIME, the Internet and Mobile TV.

During the 12 days of the competition free-to-air channel PRIME will broadcast 12 hours each day of LIVE Games coverage together with a daily highlights package.

SKY will also dedicate five 24 hour channels to the Commonwealth Games – more than 1400 hours of television coverage. In addition to this, there will also be a two hour daily highlights package over the course of the games on SKY Sport, regular 30 minute updates on SKY’s Sport Highlights channel and extensive Internet and Mobile TV coverage.

John Fellet, Chief Executive, SKY Television said, “The combination of free-to-air and pay television coverage for a key sports event like the Commonwealth Games is a winner for all New Zealanders and will provide them with more extensive and comprehensive coverage than they have ever seen before.”

Live Commonwealth Games coverage begins at 4.30 pm on 3 October 2010.

Should India Bid for 2020 Olympics?

Sports Minister M.S. Gill doesn't quite think so.
"I am not sure India should be thinking of hosting the Olympics. Please be very careful about this," he said while replying to an attention motion in the Rajya Sabha on India's preparations for the Oct 3-14, 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"There are some people who want entertainment, people who want fun and games," he added raising the possibility of a confrontation with the IOA on the issue.

This is because Government support is essential for events like the Olympics. While the IOA appoints an organising committee to run the event, it is the government that is responsible for creating the infrastructure as with the Commonwealth Games next year and the Asian Games India hosted in 1982.

"It is a point seriously to think about (whether India has the wherewithal to host the Olympics)," Gill maintained

Monika Devi pleads for reduced sanction in order to prepare for CWG

Nearly 17 months after she was exonerated by a hearing panel set up by the Indian Weightlifting Federation, Monika Devi appeared before the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel on Tuesday and pleaded a reduced sanction so as to enable her to prepare for and compete in the Commonwealth Games in October.

In a doping case that triggered a drama that unfolded on National television just before she was to take off for Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, Monika Devi was first charged with a doping violation, then reprieved and still found herself out of the Olympics since it was too late to consider her entry.

The Manipuri lifter accused the Sports Authority of India (SAI) of having sabotaged her tests, was initially supported by the Indian federation, and then found herself cornered when her ‘B’ sample tests at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo came back ‘positive’.
Procedural formalities

Those tests were conducted in January last year but NADA managed to get a fresh case going only on Tuesday partly because of procedural formalities including a couple of court cases, partly due to the lack of response from the lifter and also because of it own tardy approach.

At the hearing on Tuesday, Monika’s counsel, Ramesh Kumar, pleaded that the panel consider the nearly 18-month de facto suspension that she had undergone so far as adequate punishment for her and allow her to come back immediately so that she could start attending camps in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.

Ramesh Kumar argued that since WADA rules prescribed only a two-year suspension for a first-time offence and since Monika had not been able to compete since being charged with a doping infraction the panel could treat her deemed suspension as the actual suspension period and reduce her total sanction.

He pointed out her achievements at the international level and contended that she was a medal prospect at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Panel Chairman Sudhir Nandrajog pointed out that the panel would be bound by the rules in determining any plea for reduced sanction. He also cautioned Monika and her lawyer that they study the rules in detail and then only make a written submission about the lifter’s guilt, if that was the plea she was taking, since going back after that would be impossible.
Relevant point

The most relevant point in the case would be the date of commencement of suspension. Monika’s original ‘positive’ dates back to June 6, 2008.

It is a moot point whether at any stage after that she was kept under provisional suspension. By August 9 that year she was exonerated.

There never was any official suspension after that, though she remained out of the list of probables for major competitions.

Had she co-operated with the authorities prior to the Olympics and had the Indian federation not accused SAI and the Delhi laboratory of prejudice and sabotage, the case could have ended then and there with a two-year suspension.

That did not happen and Monika plunged herself into legal battles even as her supporters forced the Union Government to initiate a CBI enquiry into the whole episode.

Of additional interest in the Monika case would be the suspension period that the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) would accept. Since March, 2008 it had been imposing a four-year suspension on first-time offenders.

Monika’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ samples were tested in the Tokyo laboratory and both, in one particular batch of four separate sets of samples, returned ‘positive’ for testosterone metabolites and precursors, androsterone, etiocholanolone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

NADA has taken the stand that it would strictly go by its own rules that prescribe a two-year suspension.

Incidentally, NADA put forward very little arguments on Tuesday against any possible reduction of suspension. It also did not argue for any particular date being considered for the imposition of any suspension.

The case was adjourned to allow Monika more time to study the implications of an ‘admission’ of guilt.

Showcase clean Delhi during Games 2010, Walia tells MCD

To present a clean and garbageless Delhi during the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in October, the state government Tuesday asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to prepare a ‘target based short-term action plan to collect, transport and treat solid waste’ of the city.

In a meeting with MCD leaders and officials Tuesday, Delhi’s Finance Minister A.K. Walia directed the civic authority to bring more area of national capital under the door-to-door garbage collection scheme.

‘Much more is required to be done to strengthen the work of transportation and collection of solid waste management from Delhi,’ Walia said in an official statement here.

He told the civic authority that garbage should not be visible on the roads and around colonies, as a large number of tourists and visitors, including foreigners, would be in the city during the Games.

‘Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain, who was also at the meeting, informed that they are starting their fleet of mechanical sweepers and intend to undertake sweeping twice a day in Delhi,’ the statement said.

Delhi generates around 8,000 tonnes of garbage every day and as the present landfill sites at Okhla, Bhalaswa and Ghazipur are filled to capacity, the problem of waste disposal is turning complex.

Walia wants garbage-free Delhi before CWG

Delhi Urban Development and Finance Minister (UDFM) A K Walia today asked the MCD to prepare a target based short term action plan to dispose of municipal solid waste with an aim to show case a garbage-free Delhi during Commonwealth Games 2010. ''The MCD should bring more zones under the door-to-door collection scheme,'' Dr Walia said in a high-level meeting on the issue of management of solid waste in Delhi. ''There is a need to understand the true spirit of municipal solid waste managementrules which were framed in 2000 but nothing concrete has been done in this direction till now,'' he added.

Dr Walia stated that much more is required to be done to strengthen the work of collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste in Delhi. Calling transportation of around 8,000 metric tonne waste per day a big challenge, he asserted that the problem is becoming complex as landfill sites at Okhla, Bhalaswa and Gazipur have no capacity to take in more garbage and waste. ''It is imperative to segregate and recycle the waste to achieve the goal of zero level landfill sites,'' he opined. Dr Walia suggested that there should be no flying of garbage from the trucks as it may prove to be a health hazard.

Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sen informed the meeting that the MCD was also augmenting its fleet of mechanical sweepers and intends to undertake twice a day sweeping in Delhi. Dr Walia told strictly that no garbage should be visible on the roads and around colonies, as a large number of tourists and visitors, including foreigners would be in Delhi during Commonwealth Games. He also asked the MCD to properly utilise the funds sanctioned by the government.

5,000 NCC cadets to help organise Commonwealth Games

Five thousand NCC Cadets will help organise the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and selection process for this has already been completed and training for this purpose will start very soon, according to Director General NCC Lt Gen RK Karwal here today.

Addressing a news conference coinciding with the NCC Republic Day Camp 2010, Lt. General Karwal said that the NCC Delhi Directorate will start the Yamuna Pollution Awareness Campaign next month.

The earlier Ganga Pollution Awareness Campaign, organised from Haridwar to Bihar, was a huge success, he added. t. General Karwal said that the Defence Ministry has approved a proposal to hire services of Ex-Servicemen to meet the shortage of Army officers in the NCC.

The Finance Ministry is examining the proposal at present, he added. It may be noted that the Government has approved raising the strength of NCC cadets from the present 13 lakhs to 15 lakhs.

Lt General Karwal said that the Ministry of Defence has also approved a proposal to raise the ratio of Girl cadets from present 23 percent to 33 percent.

He said that the number of cadets deputed under the Youth Exchange Programme will be doubled to 200 from next year.

The Vice President Mohd Hamid Ansari inaugurated the annual Republic Day Camp on Saturday. There are 1,950 cadets, both Boys and Girls, participating in the month-long camp. (ANI)

CISF launches dog breeding centre

In view of the rising demand for sniffer dogs at airports and Delhi Metro and for the coming Commonwealth Games, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Tuesday launched its own dog breeding and training centre.

CISF Director General N.R. Das inaugurated the breeding and training ground in Ghaziabad.

"The initiative has been taken to cater to the increased demands of sniffer dogs at bomb disposal squads at various airports all across the country, Delhi Metro and for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games," said CISF spokesman Rohit Katiyar.

"Initially training will be given to 18 dogs by our men with the help of experts from the sister paramilitary organisations. We have procured best pedigreed pups of Labrador and Cocker Spaniel breeds and they would be trained for eight months before being deployed," he added.

The CISF has become the second paramilitary force after Border Security Force (BSF) to have a training centre for dogs. The force is deployed at all airports, Delhi Metro stations and establishments, and public undertaking units in the country.

Delhi 2010 secures banking sponsor

The Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games has secured its latest sponsorship deal, agreeing a partnership with the Central Bank of India. The bank, described as "one of the country's leading nationalised banks", joins Air India, NTPC and Hero Honda as partners ahead of the Games, which take place between 3rd and 14th October.

The deal was officially announced at the Delhi headquarters of the local organising committee, in a ceremony attended by Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of 2010, and Central Bank's chairman and managing director S. Sridhar. "The partnership will be mutually beneficial to us," Kalmadi said. "The message and impact of the Commonwealth Games can be felt not just in Delhi but also across the country because the bank has a large network of 3,541 branches and 218 extension counters in 27 states and four union terrirories."

Kalmadi added that the sponsorship would help Central Bank become a global bank. More than 70 nations will take part in the Games, the first to be held in India.

Hero Honda the latest to back Delhi 2010

Kalmadi added: "It is in keeping with Central Bank of India's wonderful track record of supporting sport in India. The bank has associated itself with many events including the 1982 Asian Games, many tennis tournaments and veterans' hockey series."

The organising committee, which has been beset with political and construction problems, many of which remain unresolved just months before the event is scheduled to take place, confirmed that it would use Central Bank's network of branches to sell tickets and merchandise.

Delhi to go festive during Commonwealth Games

Delhi will showcase India's diverse culture, music, dance and theatre in a carnival atmosphere with plenty of food thrown in during the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games. Eight thousand athletes, officials from 71 countries and nearly 100,000 visitors are expected to throng the metropolis during the event.

"The Games are coinciding with the festival season and we are planning a whole lot of programmes. It will be a gala time with fun and frolic for the visitors as well as Delhiites," Rina Ray, Delhi's secretary for art and culture, told IANS.

There will be a devotional music festival at Talkatora stadium, sufi music Jahan-e-Khusrau at Humayun's Tomb, folk dances at Roshanara Park and classical music at Kamani auditorium.

Then there are theatre festivals at different locations, some out in the open. For the emerging artistes, Central Park in Connaught Place is the stage, while there will be something or other going on daily at Dilli Haat (INA market and Pitampura). The union culture ministry has also lined up several programmes. The presence of film stars will be an added attraction.

Social organisations and NGOs will be involved in providing entertainment for the poor.

"We are in the process of tying up with various NGOs so that no category of people is left out. We don't want it to be an elitist event. We want everyone to be part of the celebrations attached to the Games. We are trying to reach out to people in resettlement colonies," she added.

Most of the programmes are open to all, but there will be designated places for visitors with accreditation.

The government wants private sector participation in as many programmes as possible so that promotional activities get a fillip. Malls around the city will also be encouraged to come up with their own programmes.

Ray said the blueprint of the programmes is more or less ready and work on various projects will start soon.

We'll host a better CWG than Melbourne: Kalmadi

Delhi's Chief Minister is nervous about the hosting of Commonwealth Games in the capital but the event's organising committee head Suresh Kalmadi assures that all is well with the preparations despite umpteen delays.

In an interview to PTI, Kalmadi claimed that Delhi will host the Games more successfully than Manchester (2002) and Melbourne (2006).

"There is no need to push the panic button. We are going to have the best ever Commonwealth Games. I would like to assure the entire country that all the pending work would be completed within the set deadlines. The Delhi Games would be better than Melbourne and Manchester," Kalmadi, who is also the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), said.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had recently created a flutter by saying that she was nervous about the preparation and was praying to god for a successful Commonwealth Games.

Kalmadi, however, brushed aside the concerns.

"That you have to ask her. From my side I can assure, we won't let you down. We are working harder collectively towards achieving our goal," he said.

The under-fire Kalmadi, who has faced all-round criticism for delays in construction work at the Games' venues and some public relations gaffes, said the success of the event would also reflect in India's performance.

"When I say that Delhi will host the most successful Games, it includes our performance and not just the organisational capacity", Kalmadi said.

"I hope that we will be in top four. The Central government has alloted Rs 678 crore for training, which is a huge amount. The preparations are on the right track and we are hoping for the best results," he assured.

Coordinating the functioning of multiple agencies involved in the preparations is a massive task but Kalmadi insists that the challenge has been met successfully.

"I have got a good team and I call it Team India, which includes the central government, the Delhi government, sports ministry and of course the IOA. We enjoy full support of the Commonwealth Games Federation," he said.

Detailing the timeline for the completion of three major venues for the event, Kalmadi said the re-set deadlines would be met.

"Only Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremony will be held, National Stadium, the venue for hockey, and the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee swimming complex are behind schedule," he stated.

"As far as the Nehru Stadium is concerned, we have some additional work because of the opening and closing ceremonies. But it would be ready be June end. The National stadium will be ready by the end of this month and our hockey team will practice there from February 1 for the FIH World Cup. Once the infrastructure gets ready people will forget about these controversies and nobody will have an opportunity to point fingers at us," he said.

BRITISH PARTICIPATION AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES ‘CONFIRMED’

The organisers of England’s participation in next year’s Commonwealth Games denied a press report this week that they were considering pulling out of the event in India due to security fears.
The Daily Telegraph, quoting unnamed sources, said police and security advisers feared the England team could be targeted by Pakistani militants and that the safety of athletes cannot currently be guaranteed.
According to the newspaper there was “virtually no chance” of England sending a team, in what would be the first time that England has not competed in the 80-year history of the Games, to be held in New Delhi in October.
But the England team’s chief executive, Ann Hogbin, dismissed the claim and said: “That is definitely not the case.”
“Our current and strong intention is to field a team for the Games in Delhi next year.”
“Despite having been given extensive briefings from relevant authorities we have not received any indication that we should not participate in the Games and we will continue to work hard to put in place the best possible arrangements for our team.”
Security for the games has been under scrutiny since last year’s terrorist strikes in Mumbai and the March attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in neighbouring Pakistan.
Safety concerns and lax security were cited this year when England’s badminton team pulled out of the world championships in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, and Australia refused to play a Davis Cup match in Chennai.
The Commonwealth Games are set to be the biggest multiple-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games. It is expected to feature more than 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories which comprised or were linked to the former British empire, including Gibraltar.
Representatives of the Gibraltar team were in India last October and were briefed by security officials there.
Harry Murphy, secretary of the Gibraltar Commonwealth Games Association, said there were no current concerns.
“Obviously we would never send a team unless we were 110% satisfied that it was safe to do so,” Mr Murphy told the Chronicle. “At the moment we are satisfied.”
The report in the Telegraph also drew responses from the British Government and the Indian organisers of the games.
Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it “has not advised any of the British teams” against competing in the Games.
“We are aware that the Commonwealth Games Federation had some concerns about preparations for the Games,” it added in a statement.
“We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities who are doing everything they can to ensure a safe and secure Games.”
India also moved to ease any concerns about security in New Delhi.
“Providing security and a safe and secure environment for the athletes, visiting officials and tourists for the Commonwealth Games 2010 would be top priority for the Indian Government, Delhi administration and the organizing committee of the Commonwealth Games”, said Suresh Kalmadi, head of the 2010 organizing committee, in a statement.