Two cities nominate for 2018 Commonwealth Games

Two cities have submitted a formal nomination to the Commonwealth Games Federation to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast in Australia and the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota met the CGF’s deadline of March 31 to nominate as a candidate city.

Each will now build their candidature in the hope of being selected as the 2018 host city by the CGF General Assembly, consisting of representatives of all 71 member nations and territories, when it meets in St Kitts and Nevis in October, 2011.

Commonwealth Games Federation President, Mike Fennell, is delighted that cities from two different Commonwealth regions have put themselves forward to host the 2018 Games. “It is most pleasing to have two cities from different regions of the Commonwealth vying for the right to host the 2018 Games,” Mr Fennell said.

“We have India hosting the Games for the first time in 2010, Glasgow already selected for the 2014 Games as a European host, and now we know we will be in either the Oceania or Asia region for the 2018 edition. “Each city has recognized the enormous benefits that flow from hosting a Commonwealth Games. A successful bid provides an opportunity to provide a legacy for future generations.

“I am confident that each city will put forward a strong case for selection. “The Commonwealth Games Federation thanks both the Gold Coast and Hambantota for their interest and commitment, and we certainly wish them the best as they try to win the prize of hosting the 21st Commonwealth Games.”

Pakistan confirms participation in Asian Rugby Sevens Invitational

Delhiites can look forward to a fast and furious long weekend as top eight Asian rugby sevens teams including Pakistan battle it out for supremacy in the Asian Rugby Sevens Invitational Tournament. The two day high adrenalin championship will be played at the picturesque Delhi University North Campus grounds beginning tomorrow. The event, which is being treated as a test event en-route to the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, is also a part of the Asian Rugby Football Union Sevens Series.

Apart from India (host nation) and Pakistan, top ranked Asian team - Malaysia is also participating in the tournament. Other countries to participate in this event are Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Brunei, Iran and Uzbekistan. The event, to be played under the supervision of Ms. Beth Coatler, International Rugby Board Tournaments Manager and CWG Delhi 2010 technical delegate, is expected to increase awareness of this high-energy sport within India. The Indian Rugby Football Union is extremely pleased upon hosting the premiere championship.

Nearly 100 men and women volunteers who have travelled great distances across India, would also help in the smooth running of the event. The tournament will see 24 matches being played in two days. The duration of a single match is of 14 minutes and is played in two halves of 7 minutes each. Rugby Sevens, also known as seven-a-side, is the shorter variant of the Rugby Union, which consists of seven players a side instead of the usual 15. The matches are also of shorter duration and the sport is very popular in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas especially in the South Pacific. Sevens, considered to be one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, was included in 2009 as an Olympic Sport and is expected to debut in the 2016 summer Olympics.

Cong MLAs demand luxury flats in Commonwealth Games Village

They may already have plenty of perquisites but that doesn't stop Delhi's legislators belonging to the ruling Congress party from hankering for more. They have their eyes firmly set on the luxurious apartments being readied at the Commonwealth Games Village near Akshardham temple, and are demanding that they be allotted flats on a priority basis - that too at a special price.

Not surprisingly, the demand raised by Matia Mahal MLA Shoaib Iqbal on the floor of the House was enthusiastically supported by all Congress MLAs. While public opinion may not be quite as supportive, chief minister Sheila Dikshit chose to pass the buck. "If you all want this then either bring a resolution or put out your demand and I will forward it to the concerned authorities. I have no role in the matter but your sentiments can be made known to those concerned with the allotments," she said.

The views of the main opposition party, the BJP, could not be immediately ascertained since its MLAs had been directed to stay away from the proceedings for three days after they created a ruckus in the House over cow slaughter on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Iqbal pointed out that luxurious flats were being created in the Games Village which will be left vacant once the players leave. "If private companies can buy these flats, then why can't the government buy these flats and give them to us. We don't have houses and the government must do something about it," he said.

Four-time Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma enthusiastically championed the `housing' cause for his fellow MLAs. "DDA had stepped in to bail out Emaar-MGF when it was caught in a crisis so that the project could be completed. I propose that DDA should allot flats to us MLAs from among those apartments (700) that are in its possession. We should be sold these flats at a special price and probably a loan plan should be worked out to facilitate the sale to the MLAs so that they can have a house," Sharma said.

MLA Subhash Chopra, who is a non-officio political member of the DDA, immediately jumped to his feet and said the proposal could be put before the concerned authorities.

At this chief minister Sheila Dikshit rose to say, "The demand for housing for MLAs has been there for long now. I have earlier also said that the MLAs should form a society to take this forward. As far as the Games Village goes, if the MLAs make a formal proposal it can be referred to the authorities concerned. The decision lies with those in charge of these flats and not with us."

As the discussion came to a close, finance minister A K Walia intervened in a lighter vein. "I was not worried at the beginning of the discussion. Par ab mujhe phikar ho rahi hai. Kyonki Games Village meri constituency mein aati hai aur agar aap sab 70 maharathi wahan rahenge to kya hoga (I'm worried because the Games Village comes within my constituency and if 70 of you live there, what will become of me)," he quipped.

CWG panel kickstarts awareness campaign

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee today started an awareness campaign in Kerala to give the Games a pan-India presence. Shera, the Games’ official mascot, would be introduced in various states during the campaign.

“As per the contract, the Games go by the name of the host city, which in this case is Delhi. However, it is not Delhi-centric. Starting from Kochi in Kerala, we will organise roadshows in Kolkata, the north eastern states, Goa and Ahmedabad. These activities are a prelude to the Games and will go on till June 25, till the Queen’s Baton Relay reaches Wagah border,” said Jiji Thomson, special director general of the organising committee.

The relay was launched on October 29 last year by the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth. The international sector of the relay would traverse 1,70,000 kilometres by land, air and sea and touch all the Commonwealth countries in all continents. The baton would arrive in India from Pakistan at the Wagah border on June 25 to start its 100-day national tour. The national sector would be twice as long as the domestic sectors of the baton relays of the previous two Games in Manchester and Melbourne, according to the organising committee. It would visit 28 state capitals, along with other cities covering more than 20,000 kilometres. The Games would be held from October 3-14, wherein 71 Commonwealth Games associations and 8,000 athletes and officials would participate in 17 disciplines.

The committee had a budget of Rs 40 crore for advertising in electronic and print media, besides organising promotional activities like painting competitions for schoolchildren.

Delhi legislators join the Games, want a home in Village

Eager to bite into the Commonwealth Games pie, Delhi MLAs tried rather sportingly to push through the demand for a high-end flat at the Games Village, that too at concessional rates.

At the Assembly on Thursday, Janata Dal leader Shoaib Iqbal first floated the proposal and asked the chief minister to allot MLAs a flat each at the complex in East Delhi. The flats — being built by realtors Emaar-MGF along with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) — have price tags starting at Rs 1.5 crore.

An hour-long banter followed, at the beginning of which Iqbal said there should be a housing colony for Delhi MLAs, and also for those who have served the Assembly at any point of time.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit admitted this had been a long-standing demand of the MLAs but the state could not move unless the members formed a society like that by Lok Sabha MPs and put in a request for land. Dikshit said this land would be allotted on a priority basis.

But MLA from Vikaspuri Mukesh Sharma pointed out that the registration of group housing societies is banned in Delhi at present. “I suggest that the MLAs be given flats at the Games Village instead — at lower rates,” he said.

All members present nodded an ‘aye’, while Sharma elaborated: “The DDA should give us the houses at the rate in which they have purchased it from Emaar-MGF. If the DDA can bail out the realtor with Rs 300 crore when it was in a financial crunch, the agency can do this for us too.”

The chief minister, however, pointed out the DDA owned only a percentage of the flats, which it planned to auction.

She put forth a counter proposal. “Either you participate in the auction or the maximum we can do is to pass a resolution for the DDA’s consideration.”

The discussion ended on a humorous note when Finance Minister A K Walia had the last word: “The Games Village is in my constituency. Imagine my plight if all 70 MLAs come to live there.”

Barring the sudden, albeit serious interest in housing, the House was otherwise abuzz with light-hearted banter. The Opposition BJP was absent, their MLAs having been expelled for three days for disrupting proceedings on Wednesday. Some did try to forcefully enter the House but were detained by the police.