Commonwealth Games National Awareness campaign in Kerala begins

Kerala sports minister M Vijayakumar today expressed the hope that Indian athletes would come up with sterling performances in the Commonwealth Games to be held at Delhi from October 3 to 14.

Inaugurating the national awareness campaign in Kerala on the Commonwealth Games here, the minister said the CWG will leave behind world-class sporting infrastructure that will benefit the country's youth.

Kerala, which has been a model for the country in various aspects, is becoming a model in the development of sports, he said, adding the state has already introduced Kerala Sports Act, benefiting from the panchayat level.

Citing various developmental activities introduced in the state, he said 'the total physical fitness' programme was introduced in schools in 2008 and sports has been included in the school curriculum.

Jiji Thomson, special director-general, Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010, said the campaign hoped to galvanise and mobilise people across the country and encourage them to be a part of the mega event.

The organising committee plans to organise road shows in different state capitals and key cities to increase awareness about the Games amongst the people and Kochi has been chosen as the venue for the first such campaign, Thomson said.

Shera, the mascot of the Games, was introduced to the audience.

The winners of the painting competition held for children on April 3, in connection with the CWG, were presented certificates

Fire safety top priority during Games

Six hundred fire department personnel are to be deployed for the Delhi Commonwealth Games and a safety drill is being charted out for various agencies, says director of the Delhi Fire Service R.C. Sharma.

Sharma told IANS: "Special fire safety training will be provided to all the agencies involved in various activities of the Games." The mega sporting event will take place Oct 3-14.

The training will entail minute details of fire safety like people management through announcement systems in the event of a fire, training on the usage of fire exits and primary fire extinguishing.

In all, 600 fire department personnel would be deployed for the Games. They would be stationed at the venues with fire tenders. "A minimum of one fire tender would be stationed at every venue and two or three at bigger venues," said Sharma.

Regarding No Objection Certificates (NOC) to all Games venues, Sharma said: "When construction is over, we will check everything and only then give clearances to the buildings.

"We will also hold special fire safety drills with all agencies involved with the Games - the special training by the fire department would be part of it," said Sharma.