Gurgaon taxi, auto drivers learn English for foreign guests

The Gurgaon administration is teaching English to its taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers so that they can easily converse with the sportsmen and other foreign tourists expected at the Commonwealth Games this October.

Thousands of foreign sportsmen and tourists will throng the national capital region (NCR) in October for the Games.

The training is being provided by Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) here.

HIPA will train around 3,500 taxi drivers and 8,000 auto rickshaw drivers before the Games. The training is already on and each participating driver is being given Rs.200 per day.

These drivers would be our ambassadors, as foreign guests would have to deal with them as soon as they reach Delhi airport. This exercise will ensure courteous and friendly behaviour of auto and taxi drivers with the foreigners coming here, HIPA director Rajni Shekhri Sibbal said Saturday.

We are imparting training in speaking English, stress management, first aid and the methods of practising yoga while sitting in the vehicle. The drivers would be provided four, three and two stars as per their performance during the training.

After the successful completion of training, name, contact number and vehicle number of the drivers would be made available on the websites of our tourism ministry, Delhi Police and HIPA, so that anybody can contact them with ease.

CWG tableau to sweep people off their feet on Republic Day

Mesmerising music by Javed Akhtar and Shankar Ehsaan Loy with the tableau Shera, the mascot for this year's Commonwealth Games will be the star attraction of the Republic Day Parade.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi 'Shera' tableau has been prepared by the best craftsmen sought by the Sports Ministry.

Top athletes of the country led by Zafar Iqbal, captain of the World Cup Hockey Squad and other great athletes like Sushil Kumar and PT Usha will take podium position atop the Shera tableau.

The vibrant colour palette of the Games has lent a splendid look to the Shera tableau which stands tall in its natural surroundings. Shera that depicts the fragile environment he lives in and the responsibility towards protecting the delicate ecological balance. Then there is iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium's spectacular structure and it's inside. The globe aptly positioned in the middle of the stadium is also made up of recycled paper.

The tableau emphasises on the various aspects of Green Games. It has been made of all recycled eco-friendly material. The wood, which has been used in the structure is chip board and MDF Board which is again eco friendly recycled material.

The magnificent colour palette of the Games will be seen in the tableau as well. Red, yellow and blue are the colours symbolising the Commonwealth Games and purple, pink and green are the colours from the Indian palette. All the colours will be displayed in an impressive pattern in the tableau. The LED screens on either sides of the tableau will display the film combining major sporting events, their medal winners and the snapshots in the various Games.

Other all time great athletes who are likely to be seen on the Shera tableau will include K Malleswari, Zafar Iqbal, Milkha Singh, Khazan Singh, Samresh Juang, Gopichand Pullela, and Ajit Pal Singh.

Ahead of Games, INA to get 200 new kiosks

To give a fillip to the handicraft industry, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning to set up kiosks at INA Market which will sell handicraft products and food items.

“A total of 200 modern kiosks will be set up in INA and many of them will deal with handicraft products. Since Dilli Haat is right opposite INA, these kiosks will cater to tourists visiting the area during Commonwealth Games 2010. Some of the kiosks will also be allocated to fruit and vegetable sellers,” said a senior MCD official.

The kiosks, which will be set up at INA, will serve as a model market and such tehbazaris will be set up all across the city, one in each municipal ward.

Approval for installing these model kiosks is yet to be taken from MCD’s high-powered standing committee.

These kiosks will have solar panels to save electricity and a waterless toilet will also be installed next to them. The civic agency has to set up a total of 2 lakh tehbazari kiosks in the city.

The civic agency had recently decided to issue licenses to 14,000 street vendors in the city ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

A decision in this regard was taken in the licensing committee meeting of the civic agency held last week. The civic body had received 1,31,000 applications for issuance of the licenses.

“We will be giving out identification cards to all these vendors under phase-I,” added the official.

The civic agency said that it has completed the process of surveying all street vendors and registering them. MCD will also be earmarking non-hawking and hawking zones in the city.

National Stadium to be opened today

The reconstructed Dhyan Chand National Stadium will be inaugurated by the Union Sports Minister, M.S. Gill on Sunday.

Remodelled and renovated at a cost of Rs. 262 crore the stadium will host the World Cup hockey tournament from February 28 and will then host the hockey event during the Commonwealth Games in October.

True to expectations and as described by Mr. Gill and the FIH President, Leandro Negre, during a recent visit, the complex that houses two match turfs — polygrass — and a practice turf, apart from a swimming pool, is a world-class facility.

It will be the first stadium to be opened from among the venues for the Commonwealth Games. The main stadium has a capacity of 16,200 while the adjacent No. 2 turf, also with a newly-built pavilion, can accommodate around 2000 spectators.

The work at the stadium was continuing at a feverish pitch on Saturday to be ready for the inauguration on Sunday.

Both the match turfs had been laid while the practice pitch is yet to be laid, with the base just about getting completed.

Officials said the No. 2 turf would be available for practice during the World Cup.

A computerised sprinkler system, with two back-up arrangements; retractable floodlight towers, centrally air-conditioned halls, electronic surveillance system and two-tier underground parking are some of the prominent additions to the stadium that hosted the athletics and cycling events and the opening and closing ceremonies of the inaugural Asian Games in 1951.

Being a heritage building, the façade of the original stadium has been retained and an extension has been built to match the red-brick outward appearance.
Foldable towers

In order to avoid a jarring note to the Central Vista the foldable floodlight towers at both the match pitches have been so constructed as to be brought down to a height of 12 metres when not in use.

The main venue would be provided 2200 lux illumination to cater to high definition television coverage.

To recall India’s rich tradition in hockey, the stadium will have a walk-through museum displaying portraits of legends, their dresses and other artefacts related to the game and India’s glorious history.
Only disappointing note

The only disappointing note as a small batch of journalists visited the stadium on Saturday was in spotting the allocation of the tabled area for the Press — at one extreme corner, almost in line with the goal cage on the southern side.

Despite promises of meticulous planning of venues, with expert advice from foreign companies, the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games seemed to have given little attention to media needs.

'Shera' to be star attraction at Republic Day parade

Hockey legend Zafar Iqbal will lead country's top athletes when they take position atop the colourful tableau, named after the 2010 Commonwealth Games maskot Shera, during the Republic Day parade on Tuesday.

While Shera, adorning vibrant colour palette, will be one of the major attractions at the parade, Olympian grappler Sushil Kumar, weightlifter K Malleswari, former runners P T Usha and Milkha Singh, shooter Samresh Juang, ex-badminton player Pullela Gopichand and hockey player Ajit Pal Singh also would be present on the tableau.

The LED screens on either sides of the tableau will display the film combining major sporting events, their medal winners and the snapshots of various games.

The tableau has been made of all recycled eco-friendly material and will emphasises on the various aspects of Green Games. The wood which has been used in the structure is chip board and MDF Board is also made of a eco-friendly recycled material.

Cabbie ban gaya ambassador

The Haryana Institute of Public Administration , meant primarily to impart training to IAS and state civil service officers, is thronged with taxi and auto rickshaw drivers these days.

Instead of officials, it is the taxi and auto rickshaw drivers who are being imparted training in the high-profile administrative institute in Gurgaon, for they have been identified as “ambassadors of the country” in view of the Commonwealth games in Delhi.

“Their training is largely focused on speaking basic English and observing behavioural courtesies for all those who would be flocking the national capital during the Commonwealth games”, said Director of HIPA, Rajni Shekhri Sibbal.

She said that the drivers were being imparted training in speaking English, stress management, first-aid and in methods of practising yoga while seated in the vehicle. The drivers would be provided four, three and two stars for wearing on their clothes based on their performance during the training.

As many as 3,500 taxi drivers and 8,000 auto rickshaw drivers would be provided training before the start of the Commonwealth games.

Each driver was being given Rs.200 per day, besides lunch during the training. The name, contact number and vehicle number of the drivers trained by the HIPA would be made available in the websites of the Union Tourism Ministry, Delhi Police and HIPA so that anybody could contact them.

Revamped Dhyanchand Stadium to open

The revamped Major Dhyanchand National Stadium will be the first among the Commonwealth Games venues to be opened on Sunday.

Sports and Youth Affairs Minister MS Gill will be present at the remodelled and reconstructed stadium, which will host the hockey World Cup February 28-March 13.

The stadium, revamped at a cost of Rs.262 crore, is spread over 36 acres and has beeen renovated keeping in mind the Commonwealth Games in October.

The stadium has three synthetic pitches, two conforming to international standards and the third a practice pitch. New polygrass turf has been laid on all the pitches, which are equipped with new sprinkler systems.

The main field has a capacity to seat about 16,200 spectators. The second pitch outside the main arena has 900 permanent seats and with a provision of 1,600 temporary seats.

The two competitive pitches are flood-lit with foldable floodlight towers (hinged mast lights) which will provide 2,200 lux illumination during the competition. This will enable high definition TV transmission.

The stadium has state-of-the-art sound system with required acoustic effects and also two scoreboards on right and left flanks overlooking the spectators' areas.

Both the pitches are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for the players like change rooms, relaxation lounges and a spacious VVIP lounge.

The entire stadium is centrally air-conditioned and fitted with lifts, barrier free provisions for athletes and spectators who are physically challenged.

The stadium will get its power supply from two grids with a backup based on generator sets and battery uninterrupted power supply.

The stadium was originally built in 1933 as an amphitheatre. It was renovated for first Asian Games held in 1951 and also for the 1982 Asian Games.

Thrower Morse hoping to find code for Delhi joy

CARDIFF thrower Brett Morse begins a journey today that he hopes will end with a breakthrough into frontline athletics in 2010.

Morse, 21 next month, is one of Wales’ hopes for Commonwealth Games glory at Delhi in October.

Currently going through an exhaustive six-days-a-week training regime ahead of the UK Championships in June, which double as the European Championships trials, Morse knows a crucial 12 months lie ahead.

He will be heading to Portugal in April for 10 days of warm weather training with Wales’ other Commonwealth Games athletes as the push towards Delhi racks up another stage.

Today, he is at the Welsh Indoor Championships at NIAC in Cardiff and will face some good competition, especially from Birchfield Harrier Ryan Spencer-Jones, who has a personal best of 16.79m – nearly a metre further than Morse’s best.

This is a warm-up competition for the Cardiff powerhouse, who was the UK’s leading junior thrower during 2007 and 2008.

If he can continue his progress, there is no reason why he cannot establish himself among the British greats of discus and shot throwing, like Carl Myerscough and Geoff Capes.

At least, that is the aim.

Morse, who threw well over the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard in his preferred discus discipline of 57.50m last year, said: “All my training is now centred towards Delhi.

“Last year was my first as a senior. I was throwing bigger and heavier discus than the juniors at the time.

“Now I am more physically and mentally mature and I feel that if I carry on performing and training well then I can get a medal in Delhi.

“I am training six days a week and normally have Saturdays off.

“But I will be using the competition at the Welsh Indoors as part of my training programme.”

Roath-based Morse, who started throwing the shot instead of the hammer when in school, said: “I don’t want to be one of those athletes who trains hard and gets nowhere.

“I want to get medals.”

Cardiff-based British middle-distance international Steve Davies is aiming to defend his Welsh Indoor Championships 1500m title before his own push towards a place on the plane to India.

The Welsh selectors are due to name their Commonwealth Games shortlist on April 3, so a number of other athletes will be aiming to give them a serious nudge today.

Welsh high jump record holder Rob Mitchell is targeting a fifth indoor crown in his quest for a Delhi place and put behind him the misery of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

JOE Thomas, from Pontypridd, will return to the scene where he first gained a Great Britain vest as he competes in the Aviva International Match in Glasgow on January 30.

Thomas, who turns 22 in a few days, has been selected for a strong GB team including world-class stars such as world champ Jessica Ennis, Chris Tomlinson and Lisa Dobriskey.

Mitcham on track for glory in Delhi

Matthew Mitcham declared himself on track for this year's Delhi Commonwealth Games following his comfortable victory in the 10m platform at the national diving championships on Saturday in Sydney.

The reigning Olympic gold medallist in the event finished with a tally of 505.60 points ahead of Queensland's Ethan Warren (447.55) and 14-year-old Victorian James Connor (403.65).

"I was really happy with my form today after my "no dive" yesterday," said Mitcham.

"I am on track with my goals and making the Commonwealth Games team this year."

Meanwhile Sharleen Stratton (381.90) chalked up her 11th national springboard title in the 3m ahead of fellow Olympian Bree Cole (350.10).

"I was so pleased to get this one" said Stratton.

"The field was very strong and I had to really keep focussed throughout to ensure I hit every dive."

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1. Commonwealth Games 2010 - Commonwealth Games 2010,Delhi Official Website.

3,400 DTC drivers, conductors to be trained in Gurgaon

By the time the Commonwealth Games get underway, around 3,400 DTC bus drivers and conductors will have undergone a sea change in their heavy Haryanavi accent and their behaviour.

Their rough accent and tough posturing is seen as something that is likely to make foreign guests and sportspersons uncomfortable.

Starting February 1, these 3,400 men--deputed to ferry the foreign athletes and officials on specially-run luxury buses between the games venue and accommodations--will head to the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) complex in Gurgaon. Here, they will be given lessons on personality development skills, including spoken English and gender sensitization as well as stress management.

“We have not only designed the course module for the DTC bus drivers and conductors but have also offered them our site to train them on various soft skills. They would be trained in batches of 40 each in three-day programme capsules starting February 1 in Gurgaon. The training will continue till October. However, the DTC will have to pay for the training and it will cost them around Rs 1 crore,” HIPA director Rajni Shekhri Sibal said.

Sibal said a majority of the bus drivers and conductors employed by DTC are from Haryana and their hi-pitched accents and tough posturing is likely to make the foreign delegates uncomfortable.

“At HIPA we aim at ‘softening’ their behaviour and thereby improve their personality by training them on soft skills. The course module we have designed for them includes communication skills, spoken English, police interface, stress management, yoga at work and handling emergencies and disasters with paramedical techniques and first-aid. They would also be imparted training on psychological aspects such as gender sensitization and behaviour towards differently-abled people. We will also address issues such as safe diving as well as the ill-effects of drunken driving,” Sibal added.

Sibal also said that the DTC initially wanted HIPA to design a course module for their bus drivers and conductors. However, after witnessing the training of airport taxi drivers and auto-rickshaw drivers at the Gurgaon campus, they finally requested HIPA to train their drivers as well.

As many as 3,000 airport taxi drivers and 3,500 auto-rickshaw drivers have so far been trained at HIPA. HIPA has a target of training about 3,500 airport taxi drivers and 8,000 auto-rickshaw drivers here.

Athletics: Thrower Morse hoping to find code for Delhi joy

CARDIFF thrower Brett Morse begins a journey today that he hopes will end with a breakthrough into frontline athletics in 2010.

Morse, 21 next month, is one of Wales’ hopes for Commonwealth Games glory at Delhi in October.

Currently going through an exhaustive six-days-a-week training regime ahead of the UK Championships in June, which double as the European Championships trials, Morse knows a crucial 12 months lie ahead.

He will be heading to Portugal in April for 10 days of warm weather training with Wales’ other Commonwealth Games athletes as the push towards Delhi racks up another stage.

Today, he is at the Welsh Indoor Championships at NIAC in Cardiff and will face some good competition, especially from Birchfield Harrier Ryan Spencer-Jones, who has a personal best of 16.79m – nearly a metre further than Morse’s best.

This is a warm-up competition for the Cardiff powerhouse, who was the UK’s leading junior thrower during 2007 and 2008.

If he can continue his progress, there is no reason why he cannot establish himself among the British greats of discus and shot throwing, like Carl Myerscough and Geoff Capes.

At least, that is the aim.

Morse, who threw well over the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard in his preferred discus discipline of 57.50m last year, said: “All my training is now centred towards Delhi.

“Last year was my first as a senior. I was throwing bigger and heavier discus than the juniors at the time.

“Now I am more physically and mentally mature and I feel that if I carry on performing and training well then I can get a medal in Delhi.

“I am training six days a week and normally have Saturdays off.

“But I will be using the competition at the Welsh Indoors as part of my training programme.”

Roath-based Morse, who started throwing the shot instead of the hammer when in school, said: “I don’t want to be one of those athletes who trains hard and gets nowhere.

“I want to get medals.”

Cardiff-based British middle-distance international Steve Davies is aiming to defend his Welsh Indoor Championships 1500m title before his own push towards a place on the plane to India.

The Welsh selectors are due to name their Commonwealth Games shortlist on April 3, so a number of other athletes will be aiming to give them a serious nudge today.

Welsh high jump record holder Rob Mitchell is targeting a fifth indoor crown in his quest for a Delhi place and put behind him the misery of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

JOE Thomas, from Pontypridd, will return to the scene where he first gained a Great Britain vest as he competes in the Aviva International Match in Glasgow on January 30.

Thomas, who turns 22 in a few days, has been selected for a strong GB team including world-class stars such as world champ Jessica Ennis, Chris Tomlinson and Lisa Dobriskey.