India Pushes Games Efforts as Teams Arrive

Athletes who have arrived here for the Commonwealth Games began training for the start of play in one week despite continuing unease over housing and security arrangements, while the event's top official said he hopes India "learned a great lesson" from its lack of preparation.

Mike Fennell, president of the U.K.-based Commonwealth Games Federation that supervises arrangements made by host nations, said India has ramped up its efforts considerably in recent days to clean up and prepare Games facilities following complaints from foreign sports officials over hygiene and safety, especially at the Games Village apartments.

"This should have been done before, yes," he said in a Saturday news conference. "But now we're concentrating on getting it right." He said progress has been made but "it's not over yet."

Mr. Fennell said all 71 countries and territories in the British Commonwealth are sending teams to India. Some countries had been threatening to withdraw in recent days if the condition of Games facilities didn't improve but received assurances from Indian and federation officials that problems were being addressed urgently.

A contingent of 59 athletes and officials from Scotland arrived Sunday and checked into the Games Village, along with 46 players and support staff from Wales, spokeswomen for those teams said.

Stephen Soi, manager of the Kenyan delegation, which also arrived Sunday, said the team found dust and construction debris in its rooms. "There has been considerable improvement after we complained the rooms for our players need cleaning," he said, adding that the modern apartments are otherwise "very good."

South Africa's envoy for the Games, Harris Mbulelo Mejeke, told reporters a snake was found in one of the rooms set aside for the country's athletes, who haven't arrived yet. "If snakes are found, we can't ask our teams to stay there," he said, according to Press Trust of India. "That was a threat to the lives of our athletes. Very disappointing."

Forty-seven English hockey and lawn bowls players arrived Friday and are staying at a hotel until their team managers deem the village suitable for habitation. After a flurry of news reports about bed mattresses with footprints, toilets without water and street dogs wandering about the complex, some athletes have lowered their expectations.

"It's not going to be beautiful to look at," said Barry Middleton, captain of the English hockey squad. "But we'll get used to it after a while."

Mr. Middleton said he and several other English players were in India in March for an international hockey tournament, and knew what to expect. But first-timers have been shocked at the level of security around them, with gun-wielding army and police officers out in full force in the streets. At normal sporting events "we can get out and see places and have some down time to just relax a little," he said. "But here, we're allowed out only in groups, so we end up sticking in the hotel." Still, he said, the team is excited to be in India and is looking forward to the competition.

Simon Mantell, a forward on the England hockey team, said players are being extremely careful about food and snacks to avoid the nasty stomach bugs popularly known as "Delhi belly." The hotel chef is preparing special meals on request, and athletes are carrying hand sanitizers wherever they go. "We're very careful to make sure hygiene is at the utmost," he said.

India's Games Organizing Committee Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, has been under fire domestically and abroad for mismanaging the event. On Saturday he first took some blame but also said he isn't responsible for shoddy construction and the mess at the Games Village because various government agencies took too long to build and turn over venues to the Organizing Committee.

"We have taken in the venues a little late, and that's where the problems start," he said. After months of saying repeatedly that these will be "the best Games ever," Mr. Kalmadi was noticeably chastened at the news conference, noting only that the Games would be "good."

The Games have been plagued by construction accidents, fears of a terrorist strike after two tourists were shot in Delhi's old city and health concerns over the spread of dengue fever in Delhi. Now they're also running into a notorious Indian roadblock: bureaucratic paperwork. As security tightens at the last minute, many Games employees and volunteers are struggling to get the credentials they need to enter venues.

Dennis Meredith, an Australian consultant who is helping to organize the hockey tournament, said even ground staff like those who carry buckets of ice onto the field aren't being allowed in. "We're having massive problems with accreditation," he said. "What's going on here is crazy."

Other last-minute problems are cropping up, like unfinished practice facilities for some sports. A wrestling practice gym near Delhi University in the north of the city is still under heavy construction and can't be used yet, according to a Games official there. Nearby, the rugby practice field is in decent shape but players don't have showers and changing rooms.

In New Delhi, the chaos surrounding the Games has become a hot, if depressing topic at local shops and restaurants. At Café Turtle in central Delhi's Khan Market, locals said they were happy about some changes in the city, like improved roads, but many were furious at the government's mismanagement of the event and said Mr. Kalmadi should be held accountable.

"If it was any other country, they would have fired the guy behind it—but they've done nothing," said Ashwin Chadha, 30 years old, who works at a private-equity firm.

Kanika Jain, a 21-year-old law student, was particularly insulted by an Indian sports official's suggestion last week that Indians can tolerate a lesser level of hygiene than foreigners. But in response to a friend who wanted to see India's Games fail so the country learns a lesson, she snapped back: "Are you mad? India has been defaced enough. Nothing at all good will come from the Games going badly."

First Aussies arrive in Delhi on Monday

The first Australian athletes are set to arrive in New Delhi on Monday for the much maligned Commonwealth Games.

Australian Games chief Perry Crosswhite said the netball, lawn bowls and men's artistic gymnastics teams would "go straight in" the athletes village despite health fears.

Incriminating photos of the athletes' quarters - reportedly 24 hours old - were published on Sunday, showing wash basins littered with dead insects and waste material as well as stained toilets and broken chairs.

But Crosswhite - who is already staying at the village - assured athletes that their accommodation would be "fit for habitation".

Australian officials have cleaned the rooms, sprayed them for insects and sealed them up ahead of the athletes' arrival.

Team medical director Peter Harcourt hosed downed health risks such as dengue fever at the village.

"Provided you can control the big risks, which we think we have, it's fine," Harcourt said.

"You've seen the worst in the press ... and the vask bulk of it is nothing like that."

The Australian team is reeling from the withdrawal of two more athletes - endurance cyclist Travis Meyer and table tennis player Stephanie Sang - due to health and safety fears.

They take the total of Australians to have pulled out to three following world discus champion Dani Samuels' emotional withdrawal last week.

"As we have said all along, athletes have to make their own decision as to whether they come here or not - (but) I am disappointed," Crosswhite said.

'World-class facility with minor issues'

Workers painted walls, drained out rain water and removed a snake at the Commonwealth Games Village yesterday as India raced to address complaints of filth and hygiene a week before the start of the showpiece event.

Indian organising committee officials met to review the work at the athletes' village where masons plastered walls while workers struggled to dry out the basements of the site, which sits on the flood plains of the Yamuna river.

"All finishing work is in full swing," said Dalbir Singh, mayor of the Games Village where the athletes will stay. "It's a world-class facility with some minor issues and work is going on to fix those problems."

Indeed, most of the 34 apartment blocks are gleaming and spacious and fitted with Italian marble. But the view of the facilities has been overshadowed by athletes' complaints of filth and unfinished work in some of the living quarters. About 150 rooms meant for athletes were described as uninhabitable.

"Labourers have done a very bad job. They had spit paan (chewing tobacco] on the walls, stains of which are almost unremovable," said Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Games organising committee. "We are identifying rooms which are dirty and shutting them down. But we have adequate rooms so there is nothing to worry about."

India was awarded the Games in 2003 but did not begin proper preparations until two years ago. Michael Fennell, chief of Commonwealth Games Federation, has said India's image has taken a beating, following images of filthy toilets, safety barriers with shattered glass and soiled beds.

Bluelines go off CWG routes, city breathes easy

With Bluelines off central Delhi roads from Sunday, driving through the heart of the city was a breeze. As motorists rejoiced not having "killer" Bluelines for company, bus commuters didn't seem to miss them either as an added number of DTC buses were deployed on the routes as replacements. But the real effect of the phase out will be seen on Monday when the full commuter rush resumes.

Those on the roads felt driving was a real pleasure in the absence of pressure horns and Bluelines racing past. The roads too, wore a bare look. "It reminded me of the days of the Blueline strike. Even at the busy ITO bus stop, not a single Blueline was visible. The buses should be taken off all the roads now," said Ramesh Krishnan, a resident of Daryaganj.

Some commuters, however, said that getting to work on Monday might prove to be a bit of a problem.

"Bluelines move much faster than DTCs and come on time too. DTC really needs to pull up its socks if they have to match the services of Bluelines. Generally, several buses on the same route come at once and then there is no service for the next hour. This can't happen on office days when DTC is the only option," said Prakash Singh, a central government employee.

About 1,600 Bluelines plying on 132 routes were put off the roads from Sunday ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The routes are those passing through New Delhi district and near Commonwealth Games venues. For some buses, the routes have been curtailed to ensure they turn back before entering the designated area where no Bluelines will be allowed. The move is aimed at improving the "image and look" of areas which will be frequented by athletes, delegates and tourists during the Commonwealth Games.

"Special teams are being deployed to ensure compliance of the new rules. Over 1,000 DTC buses are being deployed on these routes and more will be added on Monday and even later depending on the ridership demand. Though everything went smoothly on Sunday, Monday will be critical to assess the real impact of the phase out," said a senior transport department official.

About 230 new low-floor DTC buses delivered by Ashok Leyland on Sunday will also be inducted into the fleet to augment services.

OC faces huge gap in Games revenue target

Amid negative publicity for the Commonwealth Games, the Organising Committee is facing a massive shortfall in meeting its revenue target. Till date, only Rs 335 crore has come to the OC's kitty against the target of Rs 1,620 crore from various sources, including sponsorship, ticket sale, merchandise and broadcast rights. While the OC has received Rs 137 crore as sponsorship money, it has got Rs 185 crore for TV rights so far.

The earnings from tickets sale was only of Rs 10.66 crore till September 20. The collection from the sale of merchandise was Rs 80 lakh only.

"There are total 10 sponsors and partners of the CWG who have committed to give Rs 390 crore as sponsorship money," said an official adding, "We are hopeful that they will fulfil their commitment."

While railways, the lead partner of the CWG, are yet to dole out Rs 100 crore as sponsorship money, other sponsors have also delayed their contributions. All sponsorship money will not be in cash as some will be in kind also, clarified the official. For example, railways is running a special Commonwealth Games train across the country and another special train to Agra for Games visitors during the sporting event as part of the sponsorship deal. Coca Cola, Reebok, Hero Honda, Amity University among others are sponsors of the Games.

Other PSUs who have committed sponsorship money are Air India (Rs 35 crore), Central Bank of India (Rs 50 crore) and NTPC (Rs 50 crore).

Boxing: India's lords of the ring!

Since 2008 Olympics, Indian boxing is on a high. Having won its first medal at the global meet in Beijing, the pugilists have not returned empty handed from major competitions and at the Commonwealth Games, they are targetting a record haul of medals.

India’s best performance at the CWG came in 2006, when they returned with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

“I won’t point out who the favourites are because for me all the 10 boxers have an opportunity to win a medal. A lot will depend on the draw and how they fare on that given day. One thing is sure that we’ll pocket a rich haul of medals,” said chief coach GS Sandhu.

Leading the charge will be Vijender Singh, who won silver at the 2006 Games in the welterweight category before moving up a division to middleweight.

Given his No.1 ranking in the world, he should win hands down but he has often buckled at crucial junctures denying himself the gold in major competitions.

Vijender finally managed to break the duck at the recently concluded Commonwealth Championship in New Delhi, but the competition was much weaker than what he would face at the Games.

If one goes by performance at the Commonwealth Championship where India won six gold medals, it looks like they will end up with a bucketful of medals, but Sandhu is cautious. “The level of competition is different at Championships and Games.

The stakes are very high at Games with most countries sending their ‘A’ team, which may not be the case when it comes to championships. But I’m optimistic of a better showing,” he said.
Vijender seconded Sandhu. “Canada and Australia didn’t send their best boxers for the championships and it will be tougher at the Games. My job will be to concentrate on the task ahead,” Vijender told DNA.

He said that he wants to silence his critics by clinching the gold. “On many occasions, I’ve overheard people say ‘Vijender reaches semis or final, but fails to land the crucial blow’. What they don’t mention is I was the first to win a medal at the Olympics and the World Championships. I will finally silence them with a good showing at the Games,” said the lad from Bhiwani.

If Vijender has been the face of Indian boxing since his bronze-winning effort at the 2008 Olympics, it was Akhil Kumar who made the Indians believe that they can compete with the world’s best after he clinched gold at the Melbourne Games.

Though Akhil has been struggling with injury since then, he is confident of defending his title. “It has been tough but who said boxing is easy. It’s a sport which leaves you in pain whether you win or lose. I have recovered from niggles that have been affecting me and I am confident of defending my gold medal successfully,” said Akhil.

But India’s medal hopes don’t end with these two boxers, who are without doubt the most recognisable faces of the sport in the country.
Suranjoy Singh, a 23-year-old flyweight boxer from Manipur, is one of the brightest prospects given the form he has shown in the past year.

The 2004 world junior bronze medallist came back into the Indian fold in 2009 and since then he’s been the most consistent pugilist. The Navy man first won gold for India, after a gap of 15 years, at the 2009 Asian Championship and capped off the year with AIBA’s Boxer of the Year award.

“Suranjoy’s speed make him one of the most dangerous boxers. His reflexes are excellent and he makes up for his lack of height by fighting from a distance,” said Sandhu.

All clear for Games, clouds start moving away from city

If all goes well, the monsoon is likely to withdraw from all of northwest India  before the start of the Commonwealth Games. Met officials say weather changes, including a decrease in cloud cover, have started and monsoon will start withdrawing from September 28.

According to Met director general Dr Ajit Tyagi, this indicates relatively pleasant weather for Delhi, at least during the first week of October. "According to indications, the monsoon should withdraw from northwest India before October 3. However, there could still be a possibility of light showers over isolated areas. It is too soon to predict anything other than the date of withdrawal," he said. The Met department will hold a daily meeting from Monday to analyse the withdrawal trend. "On Monday, we will find out more details about the expected weather in October," added Tyagi.

Sources said signs of changing weather are in the air. "An anticyclonic circulation has started developing over west Rajasthan and nearby areas. Northwest India has not seen any significant rain over the past three days and one pre-requisite for the withdrawal of monsoon is that it should not rain for five consecutive days. There is a decrease in humidity and clouds," said B P Yadav, director, IMD.

Delhiites, meanwhile, have already started experiencing the October nip in the air. Sunday was a drowsy, sunny day with a pleasant breeze blowing for most part of the day.

The maximum and minimum temperatures were 32.6 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal and 23 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, respectively. Officials said the city was currently experiencing cool northwesterly winds and that mainly dry weather was expected over northwest India and adjoining Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

So far, the Safdarjung observatory in Delhi, the city's official Met record keeper, has recorded 1,031mm rain, making it one of the wettest years in the past century. Till September 22, none of the city's eight districts were facing a rainfall deficient. In fact, New Delhi and central Delhi districts recorded a surplus of 56% and 52% respectively. Northwest India so far has a surplus of 14% while the country is seeing a surplus of 3% rain.

Posing as cops on CWG duty, robbers loot cash and gold

Even criminals in Delhi  seem to be cashing in on the Commonwealth Games. In two separate cases of robbery reported from north and southwest Delhi on Saturday night, robbers posing as Delhi Police  personnel looted two men of cash and gold jewellery worth several lakh rupees. In both cases, these robbers pretended to be part of the amplified security measures in operation due to the Commonwealth Games.

The first case was reported from Dhaula Kuan in southwest Delhi. The victim, Hemant Sharma (29), claimed he had been driving from Rajouri Garden to Sriniwaspuri when he was stopped by two policemen.

"The man in police uniform flagged my car down near Dhaula Kuan subway and asked for car documents. Thinking it to be part of the Commonwealth Games checking, I willingly complied. After this, he asked me to show the papers to three other men, saying they were his seniors. There, the men showed me a gun and took away around Rs 12,000, my gold chain and gold rings. and fled on their motorbikes," claimed Hemant.

The incident took place around 8.30pm. He reported the incident to police around 9.30pm, said cops. A case of theft has been registered.

A second case was reported from north Delhi near Lahori Gate on the same evening. Ratan Chand, a 50-year-old employee of Rajasthan-based Sri Gopal Jewellers was carrying back to Rajasthan around a kilogram of solid gold worth Rs 20 lakh that he had purchased in Delhi. He was waiting for bus to Rajasthan around 9.30pm on Saturday, in Fatehpuri near Old Delhi railway station, when he was allegedly approached by a man in police uniform, with four others in civil clothes, claiming to be crime branch personnel.

The men searched him under the pretence of Games security and took out the jewellery and pretended to put it back. Flustered by the sudden checking, Ratan claimed to have hurriedly mounted the bus only to discover that the jewellery was missing.

A case has been registered and investigation is on.

Commonwealth Games on cyber criminals’ radar

The Commonwealth Games is the latest cyber threat to internet users in the country.

Though it is hard to believe that a sporting event can be a threat, Symantec, the global leader in e security, experts have said that cyber criminals will try their best to exploit the huge influx of sports enthusiasts in Delhi. They will use it as a bait to make large financial gains through malicious internet activity, an expert said.

Cyber criminals have stalked the internet even during the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the Beijing Olympics, the expert said. Also, the ICC World Cup, coming up next year in India, is already under attack. Malicious emails promising tickets for the event have flooded the cyber space.

According to a research carried out by Symantec, cyber criminals propagated spam emails with subjects on World Cup. At least 419 types of scams and emails were in circulation offering tickets to the games, fake accommodation, and free mobile phones to name a few.

In fact, malware also spread through fake videos and football-related notifications claiming to be from a social networking site. Even during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, cyber criminals did the same thing, the expert said. The internet was swamped with malware, with at least 12 million security alerts being reported every day.

“With attackers directly targeting end users and attempting to trick them into downloading malware or divulging sensitive information through social engineering tactics, the upcoming Commonwealth Games are the perfect bait for cyber criminals to target Indian users,” Shantanu Ghosh, vice president, India Product Operations of Symantec, said. “IF people fall prey to such scams, they are bound to suffer heavy losses, mostly monetary.”

Emails and urls with search links about the Commonwealth Games, commonwealth village, New Delhi, and availability of hotels are doing the rounds.

Also, availability of illegal things such as escort services and drugs are the most searched options at present. Cyber experts feel criminals will use these to trap unsuspecting users and malware will spread across the country through botnet attacks. India has the highest instances of botnet attacks.

“Our officials are regularly patrolling the cyber space,” an IT expert and member of the advisory board of the Mumbai Cyber Crime Investigation Cell said.

“We suspect that attacks have already been launched but people will come to know of it later. People should remain cautious and avoid opening unidentified mails or links,” he said.

Posing as cops on CWG duty, robbers loot cash and gold

Even criminals in Delhi  seem to be cashing in on the Commonwealth Games. In two separate cases of robbery reported from north and southwest Delhi on Saturday night, robbers posing as Delhi Police  personnel looted two men of cash and gold jewellery worth several lakh rupees. In both cases, these robbers pretended to be part of the amplified security measures in operation due to the Commonwealth Games.

The first case was reported from Dhaula Kuan in southwest Delhi. The victim, Hemant Sharma (29), claimed he had been driving from Rajouri Garden to Sriniwaspuri when he was stopped by two policemen.

"The man in police uniform flagged my car down near Dhaula Kuan subway and asked for car documents. Thinking it to be part of the Commonwealth Games checking, I willingly complied. After this, he asked me to show the papers to three other men, saying they were his seniors. There, the men showed me a gun and took away around Rs 12,000, my gold chain and gold rings. and fled on their motorbikes," claimed Hemant.

The incident took place around 8.30pm. He reported the incident to police around 9.30pm, said cops. A case of theft has been registered.

A second case was reported from north Delhi near Lahori Gate on the same evening. Ratan Chand, a 50-year-old employee of Rajasthan-based Sri Gopal Jewellers was carrying back to Rajasthan around a kilogram of solid gold worth Rs 20 lakh that he had purchased in Delhi. He was waiting for bus to Rajasthan around 9.30pm on Saturday, in Fatehpuri near Old Delhi railway station, when he was allegedly approached by a man in police uniform, with four others in civil clothes, claiming to be crime branch personnel.

The men searched him under the pretence of Games security and took out the jewellery and pretended to put it back. Flustered by the sudden checking, Ratan claimed to have hurriedly mounted the bus only to discover that the jewellery was missing.

A case has been registered and investigation is on.

Games Village spruce-up still an onerous task

If the purpose of the visit was to show how much ground had been covered ever since pictures of pan-stained and dirty washrooms of the Commonwealth Games Village were splashed in newspapers across the globe, the Organising Committee still has some distance to go.

A group of journalists who were taken around the Games Villages by Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi over the weekend were left wondering why he had embarked on a public relations exercise even before setting his own house, village in this case, in order.

From a distance the tall buildings of the Games Village draped in colourful cloth banners indeed look impressive, but a closer look reveals how much work yet remains to be done. The furniture in the flats looks far from new. The prolonged rains and the dampness in the air have left their impression on the wood. Electrical fittings in some rooms have come loose.

The mattresses on the beds look soiled and the floor in one of the room was blanketed in fine dust. Cement chipping from the stairs and peeled plaster on the walls too exposed the shoddy nature of work. Those who ventured into a toilet in one of the flats proclaimed that the flush was not working. “It was used seconds earlier,” countered an OC member quickly, trying to contain the damage.

From all accounts it appears that the basements are yet to be de-watered and a feeble attempt has been made to cover their entrances with sheets.

Ugly patches

One would have thought that the abundant rain would have left the lawns lush green, but ugly patches are visible. Repair work on the tiled pathways is still in progress. Sanitation workers with brooms were seen kicking up dust just outside the dining area on Saturday afternoon even as some delegates were making their way for a quick bite.

However, the training facilities for the wrestlers and weightlifters and tracks for the athletes are impressive and so is the well-equipped gymnasium. But the piece de resistance of the village is the huge dining area with a state-of-the art kitchen which can serve 36,000 meals a day working in three shifts. A South Africa diplomat blew the vuvuzela loudly after his lunch, perhaps indicating how much he had enjoyed the meal.

Later addressing a press conference, Mr. Kalmadi refrained from calling the village “world class'' and described it as a “smart village” instead. He was frank enough to admit that a lot of work still remains to be done and that the work will continue till the Games are over.

Noting that the media was one of the stakeholder and that it should work hand-in-hand with the Organising Committee to deliver a successful Games, Mr. Kalmadi went to great lengths to explain how he had to speak to the high authorities to allow journalists to take a peek of the Games Village after the lock-down on Saturday.

English athletes keen for Games

English track and field athletes are still looking forward to the Commonwealth Games despite reports criticising the venue's cleanliness, security and construction.

“I will just be happy with a nice crowd, a nice atmosphere when I go compete,” English high jumper Martyn Bernard said on Sunday at a training camp in Doha.

Bernard, who won silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, said events were out of his control

“You go to so many events around the world and you just cross your fingers and worry about the things you can control rather than about things you can't control,” Bernard said.

The Games open on October 3 in New Delhi and England said on Sunday that 48 members of its team will move into accommodation at the athletes' village on Monday.

Mark Lewis-Francis, who anchored Team GB to 4x100 gold at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, is looking forward to his first trip to India.

“For me, the most important thing is the track, a roof and a bed,” the 28-year-old athlete said. “I think Delhi will put on a good show. I am hearing good things about Delhi.”

Two more Australian athletes withdrew on Sunday and a South African competitor reportedly found a snake in his room as complaints continued to dog the Games.

However, English sprinter Laura Turner said: “I have been training well and I am looking forward to the Games. I am not worried about anything at all.”

Former English sprinter Linford Christie, who won the 100 at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, was also positive.

“We don't read newspapers,” Christie said when asked if he was paying attention to reports criticising India's preparation. “As an athlete you just want to go out and perform. You have this kind of problem every time before a major championship. It's nothing new.”

However, Christie said some areas were not negotiable.

“What I am worried about is rest and food,” Christie said. “You don't want to compromise on these things.”

More than 100 British athletes have been preparing at Aspire Academy in Dubai.

The multi-sport games, held every four years, bring together nearly 7 000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories from across the former British empire. The games were meant to be a coming-out party for India to cement its reputation as a growing regional power. Instead, its image has been battered by negative publicity about its frantic last-minute efforts to get ready for an event it knew it was hosting seven years ago.

Ten to auction ad spots daily during its Games coverage

It will auction ad spots for each day of its Delhi Commonwealth Games coverage.

Network sales director Kylie Rogers denied speculation Ten was having difficulty filling advertising spots during its Games coverage after selling six packages, reportedly worth about $3.9 million each, in conjunction with pay-TV provider Foxtel.

"We were very successful in securing Coles, Commonwealth Bank, Hungry Jacks, AAMI, Vodafone and Mars in joint sponsorships with Foxtel," Ms Rogers said. "We're at a point where we've reached budget, but we've got some additional inventory to sell."

She said speculation last week that some of the Games's biggest teams, including Canada and England, could pull out due to incomplete or filthy facilities would not hurt Ten's chances of securing advertisers.

"We don't think so," she said. "Our priority is delivering a superb broadcast event. Australians love to watch Australians win. We do genuinely believe we'll have consistently high-rating content. It's a five-hour time difference and they start from 2pm to 3pm. Swimming will be live in prime-time."

While rivals have been talking down Ten's success at selling casual spots during its Games coverage, which begin on Sunday and runs until October 14, GroupM chairman and chief executive John Steedman said Ten was selling its unsold inventory but "not offering rock-bottom prices".

"I think the Games will still rate well, based on previous experiences," Mr Steedman said.

"If a team like England or Canada pulls out, it will become a bit of a farce," he added.

Media buyers will be able to register online each day to bid for local and national spots on the network's Buyten.com.au portal to participate in the auction.

"We'll have three to five daily opportunities in each of the five markets from day one through to the end," Ms Rogers said.

"We'll open trading at 9am each day."

Volunteers want to contribute in making Games a success

Notwithstanding the controversy-marred build-up to the Commonwealth Games, hundreds of young volunteers from different educational  streams, regions and religions are working round the clock to facilitate different services and make the Games a success. From guiding the visitors to the Games village, assisting in security check, press facilitations, taking mediapersons and international delegates to the facilities and answering their queries are some work dexterously managed by this young force. Putting their career interest on temporary hold, these youngsters are assisting in every possible ways to contribute to a successful Games. Over 1,000 volunteers alone are working at the Commonwealth Games Village.

They are drawn from different colleges and universities across the country. Many have also moved from neighbouring states to have a small and meaningful stint during the mega event. "It is really a matter of pride for me to associate with Commonwealth Games.

The country is holding such a big event and I wish all the best for its successful completions," said 21-year-old Amit, a science graduate, without divulging further details as he is not authorised to talk to media. For 22-year-old Shubhangi (name changed), a student of elite Indian Institute of Mass Communication, the Games is all about the pride of the country.

"I am excited about the event. The successful conduct of Games will add to the country’s pride," she said. There are many young volunteers like her who are extending helping hands at the Games village. "The day I heard about short-term stint for the Games, I could not stop myself for enrolling for it. I am happy to be part of it.

I wish it to be a successful event," said Rakesh, a management student of Delhi University. According to Organising Committee officials, there are about 11,000 accredited workforce of volunteers. The number is likely to rise as police verification for nearly the same number is still underway. There are chances of more volunteers being roped in ahead of the start of October 3-14 event. "We are happy with their performance.

These young volunteers are doing a good job with full energy," an OC official said. Most of the volunteers are working to manage transportation, hospitality, accreditation and providing logistic support. Visitors including athletes and international delegates are all in praise of these young force.

Commonwealth Games head sees improved conditions before ceremonies

With athletes trickling into New Delhi on Saturday and cleaning crews rushing to scour their rooms, the Commonwealth Games chief said India was working hard to ensure it is prepared to host the beleaguered sporting event — though much remains to be done.
The talk of postponing or canceling the games that emerged this week after a footbridge collapsed, two tourists were shot and the athletes’ village was found to be filthy, dissipated after the government poured enormous resources into urgently addressing the problems before the opening ceremonies on Oct. 3.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fennell — on an emergency trip here to address the problems — told reporters that significant work had been done in recent days.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done, to do the final touches, and there’s more work in the village. It’s not over yet,” he said.

Among the ongoing concerns was the water remaining in the basements in the athletes’ village, transportation and technology difficulties, and issues with security and fire safety, he said.

The multi-sport games, held every four years, bring together competitors from across the former British empire. In an effort to dispel worries about the New Delhi’s readiness to host nearly 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories, organizers took ambassadors and journalists on a tour of the games village, where workers where cleaning the area and painters provided last-minute touchups.

The tour included a huge international area housing a dining room with African, Asian, Chinese and continental cuisine, a practice wrestling hall, a practice weightlifting hall, an elaborate gymnasium that can accommodate 120 athletes at a time, a swimming pool and a track and field area.

The rooms and bathrooms shown to reporters were clean and stray dogs that were reportedly roaming the grounds last week were not in sight. The back side of the complex and a huge basement reportedly filled with water were not part of the tour.

Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, riding around in a golf cart, said the mosquito-borne dengue virus remained a concern, but “we have things in control.”

Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese, however, didn’t appear to be too impressed with the village.

“Obviously, you have to keep at it to make the village good enough to receive athletes,” he said.

Despite the problems, athletes and team officials continued to arrive in the city Saturday, with the delegation from Trinidad and Tobago, and athletes from the Isle of Man and Guyana joining a group of English athletes who had arrived the day before.

Several teams that had delayed their trips here — including Scotland and New Zealand — have confirmed their athletes will be attending.

“I am very happy that today we are recording that there will be full participation in the games,” Fennell said.

The games were meant to be a coming out party for India to cement its reputation as a growing regional power. Instead, the nation’s reputation has been battered by negative publicity about its frantic last-minute efforts to get ready for an event it knew it was hosting seven years ago.

Concerns about the viability of the games emerged this week after a pedestrian bridge leading to the main stadium collapsed, team officials reported the village was a mess and two tourists were shot and wounded on Sept. 19 outside one of New Delhi’s top attractions. A Muslim militant group took responsibility for the shooting.

The government reacted swiftly. Police roadblocks and teams of soldiers with assault rifles have been deployed in the capital, army engineers have been sent in to rebuild the footbridge and Delhi’s chief minister took charge of the games village and sent as many as 1,000 workers in to clean it.

“While it was very sad that much of this work has not been done before ... the efforts are paying off, and we have to ensure that it’s completed and sustained right throughout the games,” Fennell said.

Suresh Kalmadi, who as head of the local organizing committee has come under massive criticism for the problems, said he was certain everything would be complete in time.

“There’s still eight days left for the games to happen, and we will, in the next couple of days, three days, finish all the work that needs to be done,” he said.

India races to ready Games village

Workers painted walls, drained out rain water and removed a snake at the Commonwealth Games Village as India raced today to address complaints of filth and hygiene a week before the start of the showpiece event.

The Games were supposed to enhance India's image of a rising power, but shoddy construction, filthy accommodation and security fears have underlined governance and accountability issues, hurting the runaway pride of Asia's third largest economy.

Several top athletes, including world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, have pulled out, taking away some of the shine from the event held every four years for former British colonies.

Two more Australian athletes, cyclist Travis Meyer and table tennis player Stephanie Sang, pulled out today.

This comes a day after Britain's number one tennis player Elena Baltacha withdrew because of concerns about disease and hygiene.

Today, Indian organising committee officials met to review the work at the Games Village where masons plastered walls while workers struggled to dry out the basement of the Village which sits on the flooded plains of the Yamuna river.

"All finishing work is going on in full swing," said Dalbir Singh, mayor of the Games Village where the athletes will stay.

"It's a world class facility with some minor issues and work is going on to fix those problems." Indeed, most of the 34 apartment blocs are gleaming and spacious and fitted with Italian marble. But much of what is good about the facility has been overshadowed by athletes' complaints of filth and unfinished work in some of the living quarters.

South Africa's High Commissioner to India Harris Majeke told reporters a snake had been found in the room of an athlete at the Games village.

"That was really a threat to the lives of our athletes," he said, complaining of filth in the living quarters. "When everything is done, then we will ask our teams to come." The Times Now  news channel said about 150 rooms meant for athletes were unliveable. Indian boxer Akhil Kumar was in shock when his bed caved in yesterday. It was found the mattress had just been placed on the bed frame without any support underneath.

"Labourers have done a very bad job. They had spit 'paan' (chewing tobacco) on the walls, stains of which are almost unremovable," Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Games organising committee, said.

"We are identifying rooms which are dirty and shutting them down. But we have adequate rooms so there is nothing to worry." The Games are estimated to have cost $6 billion. India was awarded them in 2003 but did not begin proper preparations until two years ago. Michael Fennell, chief of Commonwealth Games Federation, has said India's image has taken a beating.

Athletes from 11 countries have arrived so far and contingents from seven more nations, including New Zealand and Canada which had delayed their arrival, are expected today.

The English team, which had checked into hotels because their accommodation was not ready, began moving some support staff into the Village today. The athletes will follow on Monday.

"Work is on track. About 66 flats will be handed over by tomorrow (Monday) and everything will be complete by Wednesday," Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.

India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing global economic and political influence, rivalling neighbour China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Instead, they have become a major embarrassment for the world's largest democracy, where infrastructure projects have progressed slowly and are a drag on economic growth.

Desperate officials on Friday asked the Indian Army to build a temporary bridge to replace the $1.1 million footbridge that collapsed last week. The bridge, providing access to the main Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, should be finished within five days.

The bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors threw the Games into crisis. An outbreak of dengue has only compounded worries.

Two more Aussie athletes pull out of Delhi CWG

Australian cyclist Travis Meyer and table tennis player Stephanie Sang today joined the growing list of athletes pulling out of the troubled Commonwealth Games in Delhi, citing security and health concerns.

Withdrawal by Meyer and Sang took the number of Australian pullouts to three. Last week, discus world champion Dani Samuels' was the first to skip the Games.

Australian Commonwealth Games chief Perry Crosswhite dubbed the pullouts as disappointing.

"I am disappointed on the basis that these Games will be a good experience particularly for all the athletes who come to it and of course we wouldn't be here if we didn't think the security wasn't being organised well and at the level it should be," Crosswhite was quoted as saying by the 'Australian Associated Press'.

Crosswhite said the recently-married Sang pulled out because of security fears, and a replacement for her on the team was being sought.

Australia's athletes will begin arriving in Delhi from Wednesday for the October 3 to 14 event.

Scotland team arrives in New Delhi for Commonwealth Games

The contingent of Scotland for the Commonwealth Games-2010 arrived here on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Australian and Kenyan contingent arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport
.

The arrival of players and officials from participating member nations picked pace on Saturday.

Policemen and volunteers of the Commonwealth Games were seen at the airport to receive and guide the contingent from Edinburgh.

Armed policemen escorted the Scottish team members to board the special coaches to ferry them to the Game Village.

The Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell said on Saturday that there would be full participation by all countries in the Games.

So far all national delegations appear to be attending the Games after pledges from the Indian government that the event would be ready on time.

The Indian government is rushing against time to ensure preparations are complete ahead of the opening.

The Games are due to commence on October 3 and end on the 14th.

India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.

Indian cuisine - a big hit with visitors

The Commonwealth Games Village may have been drubbed "filthy and unlivable" by foreign delegates and athletes, but they are highly impressed by the variety of Indian cuisines they are being served at the Village.

A number of delegates and athletes, here to assess arrangements made by the Organising Committee (OC), felt touched by the quality of food.

Despite difficulties in pronouncing the names of the dishes, the athletes lavished rich praises when asked about the quality of food served to them.

Thanks to its delicious dishes, the gigantic dining hall, whit a capacity to accommodate about 2,300 people at one go, is turning out to be the major attraction for all Indian and foreign athletes. The hall can serve about 40,000 people in a day.

"Food here is really awesome. I'm trying a lot of cuisines here. It is simply class apart," said Tuelo Daniel Serufho, Chef De Mission, Botswana.

Jackie Desouza, Press Attache, Canada, seconded Serufho's views. "Food is really excellent here. It is really very nice," said Desouza.

Harnam Singh, chief coach of national weightlifting team, too praised the quality of food. "All facilities here are very good. The food is matchless. Everyone is appreciating it," he said.

Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee, Randhir Singh added that, "Every dish from the world is available here. The quality of food is beyond anybody's match. All athletes and delegates are appreciating it."

Managers of food division say that their effort is to make people feel at home as far as food is concerned. "We have all the cuisines in the world. Our efforts are to make the athletes feel at home and give them a great dining experience," chief of catering division, Ajay Grover had said earlier.

SA delegation finds snake in CWG Village room

Just when things seemed to be getting on track, the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games  has plunged into a new crisis on Sunday. A snake was found in a room allotted to South African athletes, who are yet to check in, High Commissioner Harris Mbulelo Mejeke told reporters.
On a day when contingents from Malaysia and Botswana also complained about their allotments at the much-maligned Games Village, former athletics great Milkha Singh said they were fussing excessively as Indian athletes get by with sub-standard arrangements abroad.

"I think we are getting dominated by our guests. I have also been to number of countries and there have been times when the arrangements were not very good but we never made such a fuss out of it," Milkha told PTI.

'Threat to lives of players'

"We can't go and stay till things are fixed up. We have very grave concerns. If snakes are found we can't ask our teams to stay there. Yesterday we found a snake but I don't know whether it was an Indian snake. But it was there in one of our rooms," Mejeke said before entering the Village.

"That was a threat to the lives of our athletes. Very disappointing. Basically, the basement was full of water and the staircase was also damp," he said.

On being asked if he brought the matter to the notice of the organisers, he said, "We had someone with us. They have promised us, everything will be all right. I will go and check whether the promise has been kept," he said.

However, the South African envoy said there team will not withdraw from the controversy-marred event.

Malaysia, Botswana complain about Games Village

Although there was no serious threat of any contingent pulling out, the Games Village, where clean-up operations have been going virtually round the clock, came in for fresh criticism with Malaysia and Botswana complaining about the poor state of the residential blocks.

To compound the misery for the organisers, female Scottish tennis star Elena Baltacha, ranked 50th in the world, pulled out along with Australian cyclist Travis Meyer, table tennis player Stephanie Sang and Malaysian sprinter Siti Zubaidah Adabi citing health and security concerns.

They are making a fuss: Milkha

Legendary former athlete Milkha Singh today lashed out at the foreign athletes for fussing about the Commonwealth Games Village, saying that they can stay at hotels if they don't like the accommodation.

"I think India is giving in to the demands of our guests a little too much. The guests cannot dictate us. If they (foreign athletes) don't like the arrangements they should go and stay in the hotels," said the 81-year-old.

Milkha, the only Indian who has won a gold in Commonwealth Games track and field event, however, said the controversy surrounding the Commonwealth Games have tarnished the image of India.

"What should have been ready three years ago is still not complete. We waited till the last moment to finish everything, hence bringing disrepute to the nation," fumed the 'Flying Sikh', a name given to him by Pakistan General Ayub Khan in 1962.

"Wherever I go with my son (ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh), people speak so highly about India and talk about the progress the country has made over the past few years. But all this mess in the Commonwealth Games has dragged the country back. The nation has lost its respect," the gold medallist in the then 440 yard race in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

England, Scotland check in

There was some good news as well with England's delegation checking in at the Village to do the groundwork for their athletes' arrival tomorrow. The first batch of athletes and officials from Scotland, around 80 in number, also arrived here.

A group of around 20 support staff were the first occupants of the accommodation to ensure that conditions continue to be on track for 48 athletes from the sports of hockey (32), lawn bowls (12) and shooting (4) to move in on Monday.

England Chef de Mission Craig Hunter said, "It's exciting but also a relief to be able to occupy our accommodation. We are now getting back on track with the planned and phased arrival of athletes and we will begin to reach a peak of team numbers (more than 500) on October 5.

Hooper denies blaming India over CWG mess

No end to the controversies over the Commonwealth Games (CWG) -this time over an interview given by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) CEO Mike Hooper to a New Zealand media, which is blown up into a controversy.

Mike Hooper denies making anti-India remarks to a New Zealand media. He says his comments are being misinterpreted by sections of the media in India.

Reports said Hooper blamed Indian government for delay in getting the CWG facilities ready.

"We have limited resources. Promises were made when the contract was given. Things in Delhi have picked up. Lot of pressure is on everybody. I thank the Delhi government for getting it done," said Hooper.

CGF boss Mike Fennell might talk about sharing the blame for poor preparations of the Delhi mega-event but its CEO Mike Hooper says the CGF cannot be held responsible for the Organising Committee's failure to meet deadlines.

"I take responsibility for my areas of responsibility, and that has been working very hard with the organising committee to get things done. Now, at the end of the day, I'm not a construction engineer. I'm not a builder," Hooper told 'TVNZ'.

Hooper said the developers of the venues did not hand them over to the OC on time and this has led to the current crisis."We're at the hands and the mercy of, effectively, the government of India, the Delhi government, the agencies responsible for delivery of the venues.

They consistently failed to meet deadlines," he said. "Now, we were very active, very strong in pushing for this to be done. The actual venues were not handed over effectively - and I say handed over from the point of view of getting venue-completion certificates and occupancy certificates," he added.

Hooper said the organisers did not act despite repeated reminders by the CGF. "...the very frustrating thing is we have consistently spoken out loudly and clearly, consistent in our reporting: 'Get these things done. Get these venues delivered. Focus on the operational delivery of the Games.'

"And unfortunately, we are where we are.

Now, we can all do these post-mortems later, Paul. The reality is right now we need to focus on getting as much as we can done. It is unfortunate that we had to go as public as we did yet again," he added.

India makes mad dash to ready Commonwealth Games Village

The Games were supposed to enhance India’s image of a rising power, but shoddy construction, filthy accommodation and security fears have underlined governance and accountability issues, hurting the runaway pride of Asia’s third largest economy.

Several top athletes, including world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, have pulled out, taking away some of the shine from the event held every four years for former British colonies.

Two more Australian athletes, cyclist Travis Meyer and table tennis player Stephanie Sang, pulled out on Sunday. This comes a day after Britain’s number one tennis player Elena Baltacha withdrew because of concerns about disease and hygiene.

On Sunday, Indian organising committee officials met to review the work at the Games Village where masons plastered walls while workers struggled to dry out the basement of the Village which sits on the flooded plains of the Yamuna river.

"All finishing work is going on in full swing," Dalbir Singh, mayor of the Games Village where the athletes will stay, told Reuters.

"It’s a world class facility with some minor issues and work is going on to fix those problems."

Indeed, most of the 34 apartment blocs are gleaming and spacious and fitted with Italian marble. But much of what is good about the facility has been overshadowed by athletes’ complaints of filth and unfinished work in some of the living quarters.

While the Games finally seem to be coming together after the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, glitches remained.

BED COLLAPSE, TOBACCO SPIT

The Times Now news channel said about 150 apartments out of the 1168 built for athletes were unliveable. Indian boxer Akhil Kumar was in shock when his bed caved in on Saturday. It was found the mattress had just been placed on the bed frame without any support beneath.

"Labourers have done a very bad job. They had spit ’paan’ (chewing tobacco) on the walls, stains of which are almost unremovable," Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Games organising committee, told Reuters.

"We are identifying rooms which are dirty and shutting them down. But we have adequate rooms so there is nothing to worry."

The Games are estimated to have cost $6 billion. India was awarded them in 2003 but did not begin proper preparations until two years ago. Michael Fennell, chief of Commonwealth Games Federation, has said India’s image has taken a beating.

Athletes from 11 countries have arrived so far and contingents from seven more nations, including New Zealand and Canada which had delayed their arrival, are expected on Sunday.

The English team, which had checked into hotels because their accommodation was not ready, began moving some support staff into the Village on Sunday. The athletes will follow on Monday.

India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing global economic and political influence, rivalling neighbour China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Instead, they have become a major embarrassment for the world’s largest democracy, where infrastructure projects have progressed slowly and are a drag on economic growth.

Desperate officials on Friday asked the Indian Army to build a temporary bridge to replace the $1.1 million footbridge that collapsed last week. The bridge, providing access to the main Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, should be finished within five days.

The bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors threw the Games into crisis. An outbreak of dengue has only compounded worries.

FICCI for a separate law to check corruption in sports

Amid a spate of allegations of corruption surrounding the upcoming Commonwealth Games, a leading industry lobby Sunday demanded a separate law to deal with corruption in sports.

Seeking wide-ranging, structural reforms in the business of sports, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry stressed the need for a law to deal with malpractices and corruption.

In a paper ‘India’s Sports Scenario’, FICCI said the proposed law ’should encompass proper regulation of sports and governing bodies, ensure minimum qualification criteria, fix a cap on the tenure of office-bearers of sporting federations and age restrictions.’

Referring to the report by global ratings agency Moody’s, which said ‘concerns regarding safety, security and site preparedness are tarnishing the country’s global image’, FICCI said India’s reputation as a tourist and investment destination could be damaged.

‘The law should also take care that there is meritocracy and equal opportunity in selection process,’ it added.

FICCI also wanted the law to provide for a mechanism for quick redressal of grievances of various stakeholders like players, teams, federations and sponsors.

It said a Court of Arbitration for various sports in India, similar to the one based in Laussane, Switzerland, can be set up.

PM inaugurates CWG sports injury centre at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Sunday inaugurated the 'Sports Injury Centre' at the Safdarjung Hospital here for the Commonwealth Games.

The Rs.70-crore centre, equipped with the latest facilities, will cater to sportspersons during the Commonwealth Games. It will be open to the public after the Games.

The 35-bed centre has three modular operation theatres with pre-operative and post-operative rooms and a two-bed ICU in the post-operative room.

It also has three world class integrated modular operation theatres with facility for video conferencing.

The centre also houses all modern diagnostic facilities such as MRI and CT scan, digital x-ray, colour Doppler test and bone desitometry.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

Australian and Kenyan teams arrive in New Delhi for Commonwealth Games

Contingents from Australia and Kenya for the Commonwealth Games arrived here on Sunday.

The arrival of players and officials from participating member nations picked pace on Saturday.

Heavy presence of the security personnel was seen at the airport as the members of the contingents boarded buses escorted by armed police jeeps to their destination.

Earlier on Thursday, the Kenyan officials had said they would send a 240-strong team for the Games after receiving foolproof assurances about security from New Delhi.

The Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell said on Saturday that there would be full participation by all countries in the Games.

So far all national delegations appear to be attending the Games after pledges from the Indian government that the event would be ready on time.

The Indian government is rushing against time to ensure preparations are complete ahead of the opening.

The Games are due to commence on October 3 and end on the 14th.

India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.

Oz opposition party demands more security advice for athletes at Delhi Games

Australia's opposition party has asked the Julia Gillard Government to give athletes participating in the 2010 Commonwealth Games more advice on the security situation in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Gillard has recommended athletes competing at the Games to read the Australian Government's website www.smartraveller.gov.au.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said on Sunday that the government could make their decision easier by providing more detailed advice though.

"No government can give a guarantee as to the security arrangements but they're on the ground, they have access to a whole range of security information the athletes possibly cannot access. So I believe the government should give more guidance," she said.

Bishop told ABC TV it was important to support India's staging of the Games, which have been marred by problems.

The call to provide more security advise comes after Australian authorities received intelligence about a plan by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists to take foreign hostages during the Delhi Commonwealth Games, The Herald Sun reports

Fear of angering the Indian Government has deterred the Australian authorities to issue an upgraded travel warning for Delhi.

And security experts warned Australians travelling to India not to wear Aussie colours or T-shirts.

They said citizens of Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand could be targets of a snatch attempt because their countries supported the war in Afghanistan.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade refused to confirm the intelligence reports.

6,000 cyclists pedal in Chandigarh

As many as 6,100 enthusiastic people, including 50 top cyclists some of whom are taking part in the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games, on Sunday participated in an 'India Cyclothon' in Chandigarh.

The participants from different age groups and diverse walks of life took part in the fourth edition of the cyclothon under the aegis of the Cycling Federation of India.

There were different category races -- 60 km national elite race, corporate ride of 20 km, green ride of 10 km, amateur ride of 20 km and kids ride for children between 8 and 13 years of 5 km.

Cricketer Virendra Sehwag flagged off the kids ride but he hastily left the venue after some mediapersons approached him.

C Rajan was the winner of 60 km race.

"I am pursuing cycling for the last 10 years. I am using a very sophisticated Italy-made bicycle that is only used by professional cyclists. It weighs only 7.5 kg and costs around Rs.450,000," Rajan told reporters after winning the race.

India Cyclothon was jointly organised by Sport18, the sports marketing division of the Network18 group, and Hero Cycles. This mega event has also marked the onset of the Chandigarh world tourism week from Sep 26 to October 1.

Organisers provided a t-shirt, a safety reflective jacket, a cycling helmet and a bag to each participant. They also attracted city residents to the cyclothon by providing cycles on rent.

S S Dhindsa, the president of the Cycling Federation of India, said: "We are overwhelmed to see such encouraging response from Chandigarh people. Our federation will organise more such cycling events in this part of the country in the coming months."