Commonwealth baton relay to reach Rajasthan on Sept 22

After travelling through some remotest places like St Helena an island off the west coast of Africa accessible only by boat and the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, the Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi this year, will be traversing through Rajasthan for four days from September 22.

A traditional event that launched every Commonwealth Games since 1958, the baton relay will visit prominent forts, palaces, monuments and of course the Ajmer dargah, while passing through the state. There will be several cultural events and extravaganza accompanying the baton, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the desert state.

"The baton will be in Rajasthan for four nights. Starting from Agra, it will reach Jaipur via Bharatpur. From here it will travel to Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and from thereon leave for Hisar, enroute to Delhi," said Lt Gen Raj Kadyan (retd), additional director general, Ceremonies & Queen's Baton, Commonwealth Games 2010.

On Tuesday, a Commonwealth Games team held a meeting with officials in Jaipur to work out the nitty-gritties. "We had an interaction with the officials from the sports, tourism, athletics association, transport and education departments. Each department would work out their action plan for the QBR," said Kadyan.

The Queen's baton portrays an intricate fusion of ancient and modern India with the soil from all parts of the country layered on to a fabric that covers the helix-shaped aluminium case. The interweaving of coloured soils, including white sand, deep red, warm yellow, dark brown and an array of other colours creates a very distinctive design, form and texture never before seen in the styling of a Queen's baton.

"The travelling of the baton through Rajasthan is an immense opportunity for the state to showcase itself to the world. The Queen's message to the athletes' is engraved on it using modern laser technology known as micro calligraphy, which is not visible to the naked eye," said Kadyan.

The baton relay will be a unique even for the people of the state as it would enable them to get themselves clicked with one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games. At the end of its journey, the baton would have traversed over 1,90,000 km in 336 days. It would have passed through thousands of hands, and travelled by different modes of transport -- land, air and sea.

Haryana claim of reviving its lakes before Games hollow

A year after Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda promised revival of Badhkal and Surajkund lakes before the Commonwealth Games, it now seems that the two water bodies may not be ready to attract tourists during the sporting extravaganza.

So far, no measure has been initiated to fill the two lakes and no wonder the officials are praying to rain god. "We can bring some water to the two lakes but we have no idea of the lakes' capacity. Obviously, the rain will bring some water,'' said a senior irrigation department official.

On Tuesday, the government hinted at a long-term plan for the permanent revival of the two waterbodies. "The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) officials said that they might approach consultants, who plan revival of parched lakes,'' said chief secretary Urvashi Gulati.

She said that Haryana government would like the NCRPB to include the plan of reviving these two water bodies in its tourism plan for the NCR. "We talked of long-term solution. Blockage of rainwater catchment areas around these lakes and mining had resulted in drying up of the lakes. We are serious about the issue,'' Gulati added. NCRPB member secretary Noor Mohammed also said that some international funding agencies also provide assistance for revival of waterbodies.

Meanwhile, government officials also said that intra-city bus service in Gurgaon would commence soon on public private partnership mode and as many as 400 buses would ply in Gurgaon in the next two years and 600 in the next four years. Government also claimed that 250 CCTV cameras were being installed in Gurgaon and 140 in Faridabad to improve security in these cities.

Riding to Green Games on a 'Soleckshaw'!

Here come the 'Soleckshaws'. Thousands of athletes and officials taking part in the Commonwealth Games here this year will get to travel in solar rickshaws - a zero carbon vehicle.

"We are introducing a fleet of 1,000 Soleckshaws (the name of solar rickshaws) for the Commonwealth Games players," Rajesh Kumar, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), told IANS.

"These Soleckshaws are the greenest transport vehicles. They will also help the cause of the Green Games as promised by the Delhi government," said the scientist, who has been coordinating with the state government for this project.

Over 7,000 players and delegates from over 70 countries will reach Delhi to be a part of the Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14 in the national capital.

It was developed by the Durgapur-based Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, one of the 30-odd laboratories of CSIR, the apex science research body in the country. The technology has been transferred to three companies - one each in Faridabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

"These zero carbon vehicles will ferry players inside the Games villages and help them reach sporting venues from Metro stations," Kumar explained.

He said this effort would give special status to the country for its aim of reducing carbon intensity even during a mega sporting event and popularise the vehicle among the masses, who may adopt it quickly in several cities.

Soleckshaws are optimally designed, pedal operated, motor assisted green pedicabs which draw their power from overhead solar panels.

Kumar said introducing these rickshaws will herald India's effort in providing a life of dignity to people.

"It will enhance the dignity of human labour by diminishing drudgery and exhaustion involved in pulling traditional rickshaws. This will put India in a better light among the global community. It's a model for sustainable development," he said.

The scientist said use during the Games would help the acceptance level of the vehicle and increase self-employment at the grassroots. The solar rickshaw would not use any fossil fuel and hence there was no question of polluting the environment.

He said the solar rickshaws would be supplied by three companies.

Security exercises for Commonwealth Games kick off Wednesday

Dry runs to check the level of security preparedness, emergency response, behaviour and coordination among various agencies ahead of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games will kick off at a shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh shooting range in south-east Delhi Wednesday.

A temporary venue security command has also been set up at the shooting range and the multiple agencies involved in the exercise are the ministry of home affairs, Delhi airport, district police, traffic police, security cell, special cell, central paramilitary forces including National Security Guard (NSG), intelligence agencies and civil administration authorities like Municipal Corporation of Delhi (DTC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Fire Service (DFS).

“It has been decided at a meeting with Delhi Police, organising committee and other agencies to take every event as run up to the Commonwealth Games. It will be a full-fledged rehearsal where multiple agencies will coordinate and work hand-in-hand to prevent any untoward incident,” a highly placed security source told IANS.

“Wednesday’s shooting event is the dress rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games. We will follow the drill of taking players and athletes from the airport or their respective place of accommodation to the stadium as per the pre-decided planning with all concerned agencies,” the official added.

The response of all stakeholders will again be monitored Feb 18-28 when the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) will organise another shooting competition at the range.

The same drill come into play at the World Cup Hockey, which will take place Feb 28-March 13 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the heart of the national capital. Twelve countries, including Pakistan, Germany and Australia, are participating in the event.

The next security check will be during the March 7-13 archery event at the Yamuna Sports Complex. According to highly placed sources, these dry runs will be conducted till the start Commonwealth Games Oct 3. Over 70 countries are participating in the Games that will be held at different venues in the national capital and its suburbs Oct 3-14.

Though the government and the organisers are committed to safe Games, security continues to be the prime concern of quite a few participating countries, including Britain and Australia.

A delegation of security experts from Britain, which was here last month in the wake of concerns raised by some of their athletes, expressed its satisfaction over the security arrangements for the Games.

Willis opts for 800m at Commonwealth Games in New Delhi

Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis won't defend his 1500m title at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi later this year.

Willis told sports website universalsports.com that he would be concentrating instead on the 800m as he looks to complete his comeback to international running after injury.

Willis had surgery on a torn labrum in his left hip in April followed by five months of rehabilitation, then spent time training and competing in New Zealand before returning to the United States for the Boston indoor games last Sunday (NZT).

There he defended his mile title with a sharp performance, winning in a classy three minutes 55.27 seconds, 3min clear of Will Leer with another American, David Torrence, a further second behind in third. Willis had clocked 3min 53sec in winning the same race a year ago.

Willis is racing in Birmingham, England, at the end of the month before returning to New Zealand via Australia to concentrate on training before opening his outdoor season in July.

He said his decision to race over 800m came after discussions with sprinters on the international circuit. Bahama sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, who turned 34 last month, told him runners tend to neglect speed-based training as they get older.

"So by stepping down to the 800m, it's a way to give me more accountability to continue working on my speed so I can still be one of the best 1500m runners when I get into my old age," Willis said.

Commonwealth Games may leave you with a jackpot

Those sceptical about Delhi’s preparedness to host the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 say its success is now pretty much a matter of chance. Unfazed, the organisers are moving in for the lucky draw.

The Delhi Commonwealth Secretariat has quietly launched a special online lottery series hoping to raise over Rs 500 crore to fund the Games. The lottery, or raffle series, launched last week in 12 states, will continue for the next 23 months, said a top official, requesting anonymity. The top prizes could include luxury cars such as Mercedes, gold coins and cash prizes.

Lottery is a state subject, and some states have banned the practice. The CWG panel has written to these states requesting them to make a one-time exception, said another official. “It’s for a good cause,” he said, asking not to be named.

In fact, Scotland, which would host the Games in 2014 at Glasgow, has already started working on a lottery draw. The Scottish government plans to raise £150 million, about 50% of the total expenditure. London, which is hosting the 2012 Olympics, is looking to raise £2.2 billion (out of total expenditure of £9.4 billion) through lotteries. For the Beijing Olympics, the China Olympics Sports Lottery raised $140 million.

The CWG New Delhi is expected to cost nearly Rs 1,300 crore and is to be funded by a variety of sources including government grants, sponsorships and broadcasting rights. “The idea of the Delhi Commonwealth Raffle took time to implement as several state governments have put a ban on lotteries. But these bans were mainly for paper lotteries of yesteryears. Online lotteries are safe and rigging-proof,” the CWG official said.

The government of Mizoram will conduct the raffle series across the country. Mizoram will conduct the lottery in tandem with gaming technology provider Bigstar G Services, a Chennai-based firm. The firm owns and operates lottery franchisees and is one of the lottery operators in the country.

“We have been appointed as an exclusive marketing agent by the Mizoram government to raise revenues for Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010,” an executive of the company, based in Mizoram, said requesting anonymity.

Delhi Games force Pak diplomats to change homes

New Delhi’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games have forced a group of Pakistani diplomats to search for new homes after their residential enclave was earmarked for a new road project.

The state-owned Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said the houses of the four Pakistani envoys stood on an 11.2 acre site occupied illegally by a private builder in the Indian capital’s upscale Vasant Vihar diplomatic enclave.

Diplomats from Australia and the Ivory Coast also have to leave their homes after the DDA won control of the plot in August last year following a marathon legal tussle.

“There is a sense of loss,” said Shah Zaman Khan, public affairs minister at the Pakistani embassy.

The leafy bungalows listed for demolition had been home to successive Pakistani diplomats posted in India since 1991.

“It was almost a Pakistan compound in India and now the four of us will be scattered across the city... Our families will miss this place terribly,” Khan told AFP. The road that will be built through the site is part of a massive infrastructure project aimed at preparing New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October.

Rights group say 100,000 homeless people in New Delhi have been kicked out of night shelters because of the citywide facelift.