Ahead of CWG, Northern Ireland to send recce team

A 10-member Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council delegation led by chairman Robert McVeigh and secretary general Terry Crothers, are in the Capital on a two-day familiarisation visit in the run up to the Commonwealth Games, beginning here on October 3.

McVeigh, a former shooter himself, expressed confidence that the Games will be a big success. "I see the commitment from the Government of India and Delhi and the Organising Committee for Delhi to produce infrastructure and a Games that will make the city a major player in the world of sport in the future," he said.

The delegation was taken on a tour of the Games Village, the OC headquarters and a number of venues on Wednesday and among other things met OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi and other members of the top management. The delegation includes coaches Maggie Squires (archery), Northern Ireland Athletics high performance manager Jackie McKernan, Stephen Friel (boxing), Tom Causer (badminton), three-time Commonwealth Games cyclist Cormac Macann (cycling) and Nelson Lindsay (swimming).

Talking about his country's chances at the 2010 Games, McVeigh said they want to do better than the 2006 Games, where they won two silver medals. “We will have around 80 athletes in a team of 120 and will look to return better off than we did from Melbourne. And one the reasons is that the timing of the Games suits us, coming as it does towards the end of our summer,” he added.

Baton relay huge success
McVeigh added that the Queen's Baton was a memorable event for Northern Ireland. "We were able to take the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi to all areas of Northern Ireland. It was also an opportunity for us to promote sport at large and Commonwealth Games in particular," he said.

Cargo scanners to screen vehicles entering Games village

In another step towards strengthening the security for the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Police will install cargo scanners to scan the vehicles entering the Games Village.

“These huge scanning machines will ensure no explosives or ammunition can be sneaked into the Games village site by hiding them in a vehicle,” said a senior police officer.

The police say they will hire the machines soon and the related process has already begun.

“We had advertised for the expression of interest to hire cargo scanners,” said Rajan Bhagat, spokesman, Delhi Police. “The process has begun and we have got a few responses.”

The scanners were also used during the last Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne in Australia.

A Delhi Police team had visited Melbourne then and a proposal was initiated to include such scanners at the Games venue in Delhi also.

The scanners will be manned by Delhi Police officials.

“Though only authorised vehicles will be allowed to enter the Games venue, it is to ensure no untoward incident takes place,” the officer said.

“If a truck carrying food items for the players has to enter the venue, each and every box need not be checked by the policemen. The scanner will ensure the contents of the truck are visible on the computer screen at the click of a button.”

In India, such a scanner only exists at Jawaharlal Nehru port in Mumbai.

“These scanners will also eliminate the chances of human error,”the officer said. “They will act as a counter check on the security personnel deployed at the Games venue.”

But police sources claimed not many companies had come forward to provide the scanners.

“Companies argue they are not ready to shell out so much money to bring these scanners as no one would buy them once they have been used,” another officer said.

Commonwealth Games opportunity

THREE Orkney people will be offered the chance of a lifetime to travel to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India in October. They will be among over 400 people from Scotland taking part in the official Flag Handover Ceremony which will mark the Commonwealth Games coming to Scotland in 2014.

Successful applicants will perform as part of the mass cast at the Handover Ceremony in Delhi in front of a stadium of 65,000 people and a global TV audience of millions.

While the three places are fully funded for travel between Glasgow and Delhi as well as the stay in India, the participants may be expected to contribute towards the costs from Orkney to Glasgow by fundraising and/or grant support.

Orkney Islands Council's cultural co-ordinator manager, Tanya McGill said: "We are seeking nominations from community groups for individuals who they feel deserve this life changing opportunity."

Nominated applicants need to be aged 18 or over by 10 June 2010 and:
• would never normally be engaged in such a project
• have a good basic level of physical fitness
• be self-motivated and enthusiastic
• able to commit to the required rehearsals including Orientation (10 - 11 June in Glasgow) and Boot Camp (20 September - 8 October in Glasgow)
• able to commit to the performance schedule (12 - 17 October in Delhi)
• have no medical conditions preventing exercise, physical exertion, air and other travel, vaccinations and periods in hot
environments.

The closing date for nominations is Wednesday April 14 at 5pm. Interviews will take place on Wednesday April 21.

For a nomination form and further details contact Tanya McGill, Cultural Co-ordinator Manager, Orkney Islands Council, School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY or telephone (01856) 873535 x 2406, or email tanya.mcgill@orkney.gov.uk.

Nomination forms can also be obtained from Customer Services at Orkney Islands Council, or from the council's website at www.orkney.gov.uk.

500 doctors, 200 paramedics to be trained for Commonwealth Games

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today said that 500 doctors and 200 para medics are being given special training by the Delhi government for offering treatment to participants of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Dikshit said over 40 special clinics would be set up in various parts of the national capital during the Games to provide medical facilities to participants of the event.

The chief minister said this after giving away the state awards to 20 doctors working in Delhi government hospitals.

"The main objective of the state award is to give due recognition to honest and sincere doctors," she said.

Twenty two nurses, eight pharmacists, eight technicians and 12 Group-D staff were also awarded.

Each doctor was given a citation and a cash award of Rs50,000 while others got cash awards of Rs20,000 each and a citation.

Special clinics for Commonwealth Games: Sheila Dikshit

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday said 40 special health clinics will be set up across the capital during the Commonwealth Games.

Addressing a function on World Health Day, Dikshit said 500 government doctors and 200 para-medical staff are being given special training for the Commonwealth Games.

‘Delhi will provide world class health facility during the mega sporting event,’ she said.

A health walk was also organised on the occasion by the Art of Living Foundation and hundreds of people turned up at India Gate lawns to participate in it.

Northern Ireland delegation on reconnaissance trip to Delhi

A 10-member delegation of the Commonwealth Games Council for Northern Ireland, led by Chairman Mr. Robert McVeigh and Secretary-General Ms, Terry Crothers, is in the Capital on a two-day familiarisation visit in the run up to the Commonwealth Games, beginning here on 3 October.

Mr. McVeigh, who is a shooter himself and has been to Delhi a number of times, expressed confidence that the Games will be a big success. “I see the commitment from the Governments of India and Delhi and the Organising Committee for Delhi to produce infrastructure and a Games that will make the city a major player in the world of sport in the future,” he said.

The delegation, which arrived here on Tuesday, visited the Games Village, the headquarters of the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi and a number of Games venues. Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Chairman Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, MP, and other members of the top management met the group.

The delegation includes coaches Maggie Squires (archery), 1990 Commonwealth Games discus throw silver medallist and Northern Ireland Athletics High Performance Manager Jackie McKernan, Stephen Friel (boxing), Tom Causer (badminton), three-time Commonwealth Games cyclist Cormac Macann (Cycling) and Nelson Lindsay (swimming).

On Thursday, the CGCNA delegation will have meetings with some Functional Areas of the Organising Committee 2010 Delhi.

Northern Ireland, which won two silver medals in the Commonwealth Games in 2006, is targeting a number of disciplines for medals. “We will have around 80 athletes in a team of 120 and will look to return better off than we did from Melbourne. And one the reasons is that the timing of the Games suits us, coming as it does towards the end of our summer,” McVeigh said.

Mr McVeigh said the visit of the Queen’s Baton was a memorable event for Northern Ireland. “We were able to take the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi to all areas of Northern Ireland. It came as a messenger of peace and it united the community. It was also an opportunity for us to promote sport at large and Commonwealth Games in particular,” he said.

Bell becomes fourth New Zealand swimmer to qualify for Delhi 2010

New Zealand’s teenaged Olympian backstroke ace Daniel Bell rang a warning to his rivals after qualifying for the Commonwealth Games at the New Zealand Swimming championships in Auckland on Wednesday.

According to reports in the New Zealand media, Bell qualified in the 200m backstroke by clocking a personal best time of 1:58.96 to go under the qualifying mark for the Games by half a second. It raised the number of Games qualifiers from New Zealand after two days of the championships to four.

Bell led from the start but was pushed all the way by former national record holder Gareth Kean, with the pair going through the midway mark in 57 seconds when Bell was 4/10ths of a second off Kurt Bassett's New Zealand record.

“I am really happy with that. The 200 is not my main race so to get a qualifying time in that relieves a lot of pressure for the 100. I am now looking forward and upwards,” Bell said. “I will go back and look at the splits but obviously it's the fastest time that I've done before and it's been two years since I have done this event seriously. I've only been training for this for five months so I am really pleased.

“It's a real confidence boost leading up to the Commonwealth Games. All of the top backstrokers in the world are now swimming the 200m. It helps with some back end endurance for the 100m. Hopefully now I can produce a top time in the 100m and give some of the top backstrokers in the world a bit of a fright.”

Emily Thomas and Glenn Snyders missed qualification by only fractions from the target times in the women’s 100m backstroke and men’s 200m breaststroke respectively. Thomas won the 100m backstroke in 1:01.51, one-fifth of a second off the qualifying time for Delhi. Snyders won the 200m breaststroke in 2:13.55sec, 13/100ths of a second off the qualifying mark.

Snyders looked set to better the qualifying standard at the 150m mark but faded a fraction coming home. “I was where I wanted to be but should have been able to bring it home. And I should have glided at the end instead of taking that extra stroke which cost me,” he said.