Everything in Delhi CWG would be first class: Fennell

The pace of preparations for this year's Commonwealth Games had him worried till a few days ago but CGF chief Mike Fennell has had a change of heart now and says everything in the Delhi event would be "first class".

"India has spared no resources for the Games and everything will be first class," Fennell said at a reception organised by the Indian community in Montego Bay in honour of the Queens Baton Relay.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has been at loggerheads with the event's Organising Committee in India over the tardy pace of preparations and Fennell has been quite vocal about his displeasure in the past.

But the CGF chief said he is happy with the pace of work now and is looking forward to the October 3 to 14 event in the Indian capital.

"Things are in great shape. We had hoped all the venues would be ready ahead of time so we could test them, but they will be completed ahead of the start of the Games," he said.

The Commonwealth Games is the biggest multi-sport mega event to be organised in India since the 1982 Asian Games, incidentally also held in Delhi.

The build-up to the 12-day extravaganza has, however, been marred by construction delays and security concerns of the visiting athletes.

But Fennell said the Indian government was "taking every precaution, Games or no Games to ensure the safety of their citizens."

Commonwealth chief to take up Games workers' deaths in India

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma says Indian authorities should look into allegations that 43 workers have died on sites being built for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

In remarks made ahead of an official visit to India, Sharma said that although it was not in his remit, he would discuss the allegations - made by a five-member panel set up by Delhi High Court to look into workers' conditions at Games sites - during his stay in New Delhi.

I have read what you have. I hope the wrongs will be corrected. India has a large commitment to the games. From that angle, I hope these are looked at, Sharma, who leaves for India Friday, told journalists Monday.

We are not the direct interlocutors. It is for the Indian side and the Commonwealth Games Federation to do this. But, the Games are like a flagship of the Commonwealth. We stay in touch off and on, he added.

The Times newspaper last week quoted panel member Arundhati Ghosh, former Indian ambassador to the UN, as saying: This could have been an occasion to show the rest of the country how to do things, but they haven't. You can't be proud if you treat the people who built the venue so badly.

Mike Hooper, chief executive of the London-based Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), told the paper he backed the panel's recommendations, adding: There is no excuse for operators or contractors to circumvent the laws of India.

Sharma, who will meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, said he was confident Delhi would be ready in time for the Games and that the event would be a big success.

After threat mail to CGF, complaint lodged in Delhi

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has registered an FIR after the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) recently alerted the organising committee officials here about a threat of possible attack on officials during the October 3-14 event.

According to senior officers, the city police, after registering the FIR on February 10, are trying to locate the origin of the email and its sender.

The CGF office in Lancaster, England, received the email on January 26, after it emerged that the Games Federation’s official website had put up a distorted map of India. The map on www.thecgf.com showed some areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat as parts of Pakistan.

CGF Chief Executive Officer Mike Hooper had apologised after the error was spotted, and the correct version of the map was put on the website.

But before the correction was made, an email that landed in the mailbox of the CGF security advisor at Lancaster warned of possible attack. Besides asking the CGF to correct the map, the email stated: “You have given (a) wrong Indian map on your website. You have shown some parts of Gujarat and Kashmir as parts of Pakistan.”

The email also threatened that “many Commonwealth Games officials would be killed during (the) Games”, the FIR says. Newsline has a copy of the FIR.

According to the FIR, “The email was sent to (security) advisor in Lancaster from an email ID lanchasterman@sport.com. An initial was sent from another email identity, m.aslam@leaderinv.com.”

The CGF security officer in Lancaster forwarded the mail to the organising committee security advisor in Delhi, Ranjeet Singh Dal. After Singh further forwarded the complaint to the Special Cell, an FIR was registered under the Information Technology (IT) Act on February 10.

A Games official said the organising committee and the Delhi Police are not taking any chances since many Commonwealth officials would be in the Capital during the sports event.

450 officers will ensure Games are dope free

Around 1,500 samples from athletes will be randomly tested to make the 2010 Commonwealth Games dope free. On the job will be some 450 Indians who are being selected and trained as dope control officers (DCOs).

"We will test some 1,500 samples. For this, we are training 447 DCOs," Munish Chander, deputy director general (doping control) of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, told IANS.

"During major events like the Commonwealth Games, the athletes have to go through many rounds of selection trials and it is here that they take to prohibited performance-enhancing substances."

Chander said after stringent scrutiny, people from a science, MBBS or physical education background were being selected as DCOs and trained in England, Austria and Germany.

"It would be an asset for the country to have internationally qualified DCOs and international standards of testing," he said.

He said there was very little dope control awareness in India and fewer qualified sports medicine experts or dope control specialists.

"There are only around 50 professionally-trained DCOs who usually collect samples at sports events here, but the Commonwealth Games are too big an event."

Delhi has the advantage of having the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) approved National Dope Testing Laboratory (NTDL), which is one of 35 in the world and one of six in Asia.

The Games doping control procedures and the lab came in for praise from Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell during his visit to Delhi last week.

The lab at Lodhi Road's CGO complex in south Delhi will be fully operational during the Oct 3-14 Games. It has successfully conducted tests during the Commonwealth Shooting Championship, the Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Boxing Championship in the last one month to finetune the procedures.

P.S.M. Chandran, a sports medicine expert with the Sports Authority of India and president of the International Federation for Sports Medicine, said there is an acute shortage of manpower in sports medicine.

"Hopefully, this will be noted during the Games. The organisers should provide the best facilities to the home team as well to ensure better performance. The professionals inducted should preferably have experience in sports and should not be left in the hands raw government hospital doctors," Chandran told IANS.

"So far 250-odd people have been selected and trained. It is a three-phase training programme and the candidates must get through a written test in July. We are choosing those with a background of medicine or science. Then they will be certified for two years," said Chandran.

Sample collection stations will be set up at all major Games venues, including the Nehru Stadium and training venues.

The Games Village on the banks of the river Yamuna, which will accommodate 8,000 athletes and team officials, will also have pre-event sample collection stations.

Weight lifters, athletes, competitors in aquatic sports, wrestlers and boxers are usually on the radar of drug controllers looking out for the prohibited substances.

The Indian Wrestling Federation escaped a ban when several weightlifters tested positive last year. A fine of Rs.500,000 was slapped on it. The federation has previously been banned in 2004 and 2006 for drug abuse by its athletes.

Chander blames this on the ignorance of not only the athletes but also the training staff.

"It is sad that the 30-odd national sports federations don't have a system in place or DCOs to educate the athletes, who are largely from a rural background with little knowledge about the prohibited substances. Our sports federations really need to educate the athletes so that they don't suffer," he said.

Chander said his department planned to release a series of booklets in regional languages or at least in Hindi on the dangers of drug abuse.

Delhi 2010 will be a huge canvas for sportspersons

A wonderful mixture of positive emotions — joy, pride and excitement laced with confidence — overwhelms me as we get closer to the Commonwealth Games. As I write, there are 200 days to go for the grand opening and we have planned an event on Sunday afternoon to mark this milestone, with dozens of leading artists painting a 200-foot canvas.

I am sure the Games will offer a majestic canvas for sportspersons from 71 nations to express themselves. Besides, it will be an opportunity for India to become more conscious of Olympic sport and participate in a big way. My excitement stems from my belief that the Commonwealth Games will be a huge turning point in India’s sporting history.

And yes, there is the feeling of satisfaction that the Chefs de Mission Seminar for leaders of the contingents from all 71 nations was conducted successfully. It gave us a good chance to share with them our levels of preparation, our plans to make the stay of their athletes most comfortable and also understand their expectations. The Chefs de Mission were completely satisfied with what they saw of the preparations for the Games, including a visit to the Maj. Dhyan Chand Stadium for the FIH World Cup.

Talking of test events, we already have completed successfully the Commonwealth Shooting Championships, the FIH Hockey World Cup, an invitational archery tournament and the Commonwealth Boxing Championship. I am sure the comfort level of athletes around the Commonwealth would have gone up, as the events were completed without any security incident.

I am glad the Commonwealth Games Federation President, Mr. Fennell, made it a point to speak about the robust security for the athletes and officials. He is convinced the Chefs de Mission would have no hesitation in telling their athletes that Delhi has made all arrangements to ensure a safe and secure Games. At the same time, we are impressing upon the security personnel the need to follow sports protocol and that the fans must enjoy the Games.

It is heartening to read reports from Australia, where Olympic and world pole vault champion Steve Hooker says he has no reason to be concerned about security, and England where Commonwealth Games England says it will send a larger contingent to Delhi 2010 than it did to Melbourne 2006.

It is all coming together —and coming together well. I know we cannot afford any slip-ups but, at the OC Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, we are working through the day and night to ensure that our plans are in place and we have the personnel to execute these plans so that the Games can become a memorable experience for one and all.

We have embraced a positive approach all along. That will remain an important part of our countenance, as we are confident that we will produce the best Games ever. Indeed, Team India, including the Governments of India and Delhi, the Commonwealth Games Federation, the Indian Olympic Association and the Organising Committee, will make it a great Games.

CWG federation, Walia review medical arrangements for CWG

The Commonwealth Games Federation Health experts and Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia today reviewed the medical arrangements for Games-2010.

Reviewing the arrangements at a high -level meeting at Delhi Secretariat, Prof Walia informed the delegation chairman Datuk Dr M Jegathesan and other members of delegates about the activities in relation to medical arrangements related to the Games. She apprised medical advisor to Commonwealth Games, Jagathesan and his delegation about the preparedness and readiness of the Delhi Government to meet the requirements of Commonwealth Games participants. Prof Walia informed the delegates that three designated hospitals for definite medical care to athlete, team officials, technical delegates and others had been identified in the Capital.

They are GB Pant Hospital, RML Hospital, Jai Prakash Narain Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS. Each of these hospitals will have a secure ward, emergency areas, ICU beds and 30 beds. Poly clinics with ten observation bed at Games Village for duration of the Games around the clock covered by two ALS Ambulances will be setup. Mr Jegathesan expressed his satisfaction and congratulated Prof Walia for the medical arrangements for the Commonwealth Games delegates by the Delhi Government and over its preparedness to meet the challenges of the event. He also advised that rehabilitation facilities should also be added in the Health Plan chalked out for extending 10 Isolated Beds for H1N1 patients, if found.

Commonwealth Games are our games says Michael Fennell

Michael Fennell, President, Commonwealth Games Federation and Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman, Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 met here today to monitor the readiness ahead of the sporting event that is due to be held in October this year.

Addressing the media persons here, Fennell said: "The celebration of wonderful Games in October is not possible without all of us working together. These are our games, the Commonwealth Games is not for India. India is hosting the Games for us. These are our games and we have to make them good."

About security, Fennell said security was everybody's concern and the Commonwealth Games Federation was watching the security arrangements closely.

"A matter that has been occupying the attention of everyone around the world those connected with the Commonwealth Games and those not connected with the Commonwealth Games is the matter of security as Mr. Kalmadi has said to you that all the attention is being paid to the security and we also put this very high on our agenda in terms of monitoring for the arrangements for the Games. I don't think anybody would deny the fact that anywhere in the world today where there is a large international event or either the large domestic event that we are aware of from the federation's point of view and we will be monitoring very closely," he added.

Fennell was pleased with the hockey venue where current hockey World Cup is being held in New Delhi.

"Venues of course, some are under construction and some of them have been completed and we are very pleased with the outcome of the hockey venue because when we were here in December last it was still very far from completion and to witness such a fact that they are able to play the World Cup. ... certainly excellent facilities. I think it is a testimony to what can be achieved by India when they have to achieve a certain objective and I must congratulate the builders, organisers and all the people responsible for presenting such a fine hockey venue." said Fennell.

He also claimed that the Commonwealth Games-2010 would leave behind world-class sporting infrastructure in India.

Security is fantastic: Commonwealth Games chief

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper Friday said the successful staging of the Commonwealth Shooting Championships and the ongoing Hockey World Cup will help reduce security fears among some of the participating nations for the October 3-14 Games.

"The chef-de-missions of all the 71 nations are arriving here next week and there will be presentations by the Delhi government, the Delhi Police about the security and other aspects," Hooper told reporters on the sidelines of the Hockey World Cup here at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium while cheering for his national team - New Zealand.

"I think the security has been fantastic. It's almost impossible to breach this kind of security ring.

"We have had a successful Commonwealth Shooting Championships which went off without any untoward accident. I think all reservations about the security will be put to rest once the delegates come over to Delhi and have a look at the progress themselves," Hooper added.

The New Zealander said the participating teams had reservations before coming for the World Cup, but after arriving here all their doubts have been dispelled.

"Yes, there were players and teams which had a few reservations about the security here. But ever since the teams have arrived here, I am sure no one has had any problem with the security,'' he said.

Kiwis told not to rely on Indian govt's security assurances

New Zealand has been instructed not to rely on Indian government's assurances of a foolproof security cover during the Commonwealth Games in October this year and have been encouraged to take independent advice.

New Zealand Cricket Players' Association chief Heath Mills said nobody with a stake in the Games should be relied upon to give unbiased information. The suggestion comes after a the Pune blasts which has left 14 people dead and the target of the attack appeared to be foreigners.

India has already launched an urgent review of security for sports events, including this week's hockey World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) that begins from March 12. ''It's massively important to seek independent advice on issues of security. I can't emphasise that point enough,'' Mills said.

''Any analysis or supposed guarantees you get from the organisers of any event is clearly going to be conflicted. ''They are entirely motivated to make sure the event goes ahead for political reasons as well as having a commercial interest in it. ''When it comes to our Black Caps going overseas, we feel it's vitally important to have independent people who can go in there and review the security management plans that event organisers put in place,'' Mills told 'The Sunday News'. However, New Zealand Olympic Committee president Mike Stanley last night said he was confident his organisation would get ''the best information available'' from both the New Zealand Government and Commonwealth Games Federation. ''The Commonwealth Games Federation has its own international security consultants who assess the Indian event organisers' arrangements and advise them on things,'' Stanley said.

''We get information from both the CGF and the government and have a high degree of confidence we are going to get good information.'' But Mills said talking to the New Zealand government and CGF would not be enough for him. ''You get as much information out of the various government agencies that you can. ''They have good people involved but in our experience they will only provide information as opposed to advising you what to do. ''At the end of the day, they are not responsible for the athletes and nor should they be. The duty of care lies with the national sports body,'' Mills added.

Indian parents bring children to work... to work

AT an age when most children are either at home playing or starting out in school, these youngsters in India are putting in a day's work on a building site.

Struggling to hold up shovels which are as tall as they are, the children are helping to build drainage works in front of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi in time for the Commonwealth Games which will take place in October.

They shovel stones into baskets which are then carried away by other children as their parents work nearby on the same construction project.

Parents who bring their children to work on the site have been promised extra bonuses, such as money for bread and milk for their children, on top of their pay. Children and parents also receive an additional meal.

The Games are due to be held in the Indian capital from October 3 to 14, but concerns remain about the construction of sporting and transport infrastructure.

The sheer scale of the project has drawn an enormous population of migrant workers from all over India.

And now it seems children have also been drafted to get the stadium and its surrounding area finished on time.

This week, the High Court of Delhi has sought a response from the Government over the alleged failure to provide all the benefits of labour laws to workers involved in construction work for the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has repeatedly expressed concern about the slow pace of work for the Games, which will involve 6000 athletes from the Commonwealth, including Australia, competing in 17 sports.

Federation president Mike Fennell said in December he was distressed by a report by the CGF evaluation commission that two major venues would not be ready until June, barely three months before the opening ceremony.

The commission said work on the Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics program will be held, and the swimming complex was way behind schedule.

Kookaburras unperturbed by security threats in India

Even as the security concerns in the Indian Capital have become a raging issue, Australian men's hockey captain Jamie Dwyer claims the Kookaburras will travel New Delhi for both the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games this year.

The hockey team's visit to New Delhi for the next month's World Cup will also come at a time when relations between India and Australia have taken a wrong turn following the attacks on Indians Down Under. The Hockey World Cup will also serve as a test of security arrangements for the Commonwealth Games which are also to be staged in the Capital in October.

There have been reports that the World Cup and Commonwealth Games could see a possible attacks by the terrorists but Dwyer said the team was comfortable with the security arrangements and had been briefed by a member of the coaching panel who visited India recently.

''We just like to be informed. We want to know everything like where we're staying and about the venue, but we want to go,'' Dwyer told AAP.

The World Cup will be staged at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, the same venue to be used for the Commonwealth Games hockey tournament.

Dwyer said he had enjoyed playing in India previously, and was looking forward to the March 2 World Cup pool match against the host nation.

''India is a massive hockey nation and the crowds are very vocal. Our second game's against them and it's going to be massive.

''Wherever India play there's a great atmosphere and it's going to be great,' he added.

Commonwealth website shows J-K, Gujarat in Pak

In a major blooper the website of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) shows parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat belonging to Pakistan.

Just eight months before the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi, the official website of the Federation is carrying a distorted map of India.

The website is owned and operated by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

The Delhi Games Organising Committee says that Commonwealth Games Federation will be asked to rectify the mistake.

Secretary General, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Lalit Bhanot said, “It wasn't cleared by Delhi OC. It has escaped our notice but the fact remains as soon as it came to our notice, we spoke to them and asked them where they had picked it.”

Meanwhile, the CGF Chief executive Officer Mike Hooper, “It’s an honest mistake. It's been there for 5 years. We relied on our site developers. We apologise for it and have removed it."

The Commonwealth Games have already been marred by controversies related mainly to tardy preparation of infrastructure. Usually it's the Organising Committee that is pulled up by the Games Federation for the slow preparation of infrastructure.

However, this time the tables have turned. It's the Games Federation that's in the firing line for a major blunder.

Shooters worried about safety in Delhi

They may carry guns, but even Australia's shooters are concerned about their personal safety at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Olympic gold medallists Michael Diamond and Susie Balogh are among more than a hundred clay target shooters currently competing in Brisbane for selection at the October Games.

Diamond said, while his goal is to shoot for Australia, fears about his safety in India are in the back of his mind.

"Our safety in New Delhi is definitely a concern," he said.

"As long as Australia is sending a team, we have to trust that security is being taken care of, but that worry will always be in the back of our minds."

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite said last week it would be up to athletes to decide whether they will attend, but the risk was manageable.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has dismissed recent comments expressing concern about security as "ill informed".

Commonwealth Games terror attacks `inevitable'

REGIONAL security experts watching Commonwealth Games preparations in Delhi have warned that a terror strike aimed at derailing the biggest sporting event held in India is virtually inevitable and the only question is when and where it will occur.

While Games organisers have reacted angrily to recent claims that athletes face a high risk of terror attacks during the October 3-14 event, South Asia security experts in India, Britain, Australia and the US consulted by The Australian have all questioned India's ability to effectively repel a strike before or during the event.

"The problem is the sheer number of militant actors running around India today that could carry out a terrorist attack," said Scott Stewart, vice-president of tactical intelligence with US-based security analysis agency Stratfor.

"You can lock down a stadium but you have the issue of crowds trying to get in. That crowd will be incredibly vulnerable to an attack before they get through security.

"The likelihood is very high that India will face attacks. It's not a matter of if; it's going to be a matter of when and where."

India's outgoing national security adviser M.K. Narayanan conceded earlier this week that the country faced likely attempted terror strikes during the games and suggested Pakistan -- or its proxy terror agents -- would be responsible.

But Mr Scott said India faced multiple threats from Pakistan-based militants to the west, groups in Bangladesh and internally from Kashmir and Maoist-held regions -- which could have been plotting a strike for as long as Delhi has been planning the event.

Australian National University counter-terrorism expert Clive Williams yesterday said the two most likely threats were from Kashmiri separatist groups wishing to embarrass India, and from militants targeting athletes from countries such as Canada, Australia and Britain, with troops in Afghanistan.

"In the 2001 attack on (Delhi's national) parliament, (terrorists) had passes from the Interior Ministry and parliament, and wore military uniforms," Dr Williams said. "They may well have inside support again, and if they're wearing military or police uniforms and driving a military-style vehicle those kinds of circumstances would be very difficult to deal with."

Ajay Sahni, editor of the South Asia Intelligence Review and head of the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management, said while India could sustain sufficient security for the duration of the Commonwealth Games, Delhi would be most vulnerable in the months leading up to the event.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has been at pains to dispel fears of a terror strike amid concerns that athletes, or whole teams, could pull out. CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said he was confident India would deliver a secure environment.

Fennel warning over Dehli decision

Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell has warned there may be repercussions for the London Olympics if England opt not to send a team to Delhi in October.Last month Commonwealth Games England officials said they would make a final decision on their participation at the Games in September but currently had no major security concerns over the Delhi event.

Fennell warned that any decision to withdraw from Delhi 2010 could have a knock-on effect for London 2012. He told The Times: "I wouldn't want to go down that road, but some people will be thinking that way.

"A country that wants to host an event should think how other people will then view the security risks in their own country.

"The fact is there is always a security risk. Everybody has to make their own decisions but if you don't go (to Delhi) I suggest you don't travel anywhere in the world."

‘Western snobs’ blamed for Delhi security fears

The president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has blamed mounting concerns about Delhi’s preparations on Western snobbery.

“I don’t think there is any doubt about that whatsoever,” Mike Fennell said. “If a problem occurs in India then it is viewed differently to the same problem in another country. There are certain perceptions.”

Fennell has been forced on to the front foot after it was reported that senior Whitehall officials had said there was “virtually no chance” that an England team would be sent to the Commonwealth Games in October because of the security risk in Delhi. Fennell warned that if that proved to be the case there might be repercussions for the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

“I wouldn’t want to go down that road, but some people will be thinking that way,” he said. “A country that wants to host an event should think how other people will then view the security risks in their own country. The fact is there is always a security risk. Everybody has to make their own decisions but if you don’t go [to Delhi] I suggest you don’t travel anywhere in the world.”

The road to Delhi has been pitted with problems. Last month Fennell said news of further construction delays was “distressing”, with the main Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and the swimming complex the primary concerns. Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister of Delhi, hardly assuaged those fears by saying that she was praying the Games would be a success, while there has been an ugly spat in which Suresh Kalmadi, the Organising Committee chairman, described Mike Hooper, the CGF chief executive, as “useless” and an “impediment”.

Fennell said: “That was damaging to the extent that certain things that should have been done were delayed because of personality clashes, but we have overcome that now.” He also sounded a more upbeat note regarding the construction work and said that there was no contingency plan to move the Games to another country.

“Not at the moment,” he said. “Having a contingency like that is virtually impossible at such short notice. There would be a huge cost. The contingency is to get Delhi right.”

Fennell said he was “reasonably confident” that Delhi would be ready and pointed out that stories about missed deadlines and tardy workers were part of the preamble to any Games. “The main stadium and the swimming pool should be ready in time for the end of March, early April,” he said. “That still gives us time to run test events.”

The CGF Co-ordination Commission said last month that some venues would not be handed over until June, and Fennell said: “We monitor the situation very closely and we can go very late. We’ve had Games in the past, like the Olympics in Athens, where people were very nervous right up until a month before. The Commonwealth Games in Manchester had problems right up to the end but they turned out to be excellent. Organising a multisport Games is a very complex issue. It’s all systems go and we want everything signed off by the end of August.”

Some will think that Fennell is being unduly optimistic. Last October the bitter row between Indian sports chiefs and the CGF reached its nadir amid demands that Hooper be repatriated. In turn, when asked whether Delhi was unprepared, Hooper replied: “I think that is the understatement of the year.” Controversially, Fennell then proposed creating an independent Technical Review Committee, but later scrapped the idea, leading to claims in the Indian media that he was “flip-flopping”.

Now there is a more united front with all sides rejecting fears about security. The gun attack on the Togo football team on their way to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola highlighted sport’s vulnerability to terrorism, but while admitting that India was a volatile part of the world, Fennell was scathing of England’s withdrawal from the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad last August because of a perceived threat. “That was a major mistake,” he said. “The tournament was a success. The only people who lost were the athletes who were prevented from participating.” Fennell said it would be a setback if England did not send a team to Delhi, but added: “The Games would proceed and the bigger blow would be to the English athletes.”

The CGF has been working with Intelligent Risks, a leading global security firm, since 2005, but another security consultant, Lloyd Bromfield, said last week that athletes would be at risk and one scenario was “a team of Osamas running around with hand grenades”. Intelligent Risks said Bromfield had no knowledge of its detailed plans.

Commonwealth Games Federation dismiss reports of sub-standard security

The Commonwealth Games Federation has condemned reports security would be substandard at the Delhi Games, insisting the comments were "ill-informed" and that security planning for the Games was on track.

A Sydney Sunday newspaper quoted Australian security consultant Lloyd Bromfield saying he was alarmed by New Delhi's lack of preparation and this left athletes at risk of terrorist attacks. CGF president Michael Fennell said its own security adviser, a rival Australian company Intelligent Risks, had assured him the Indians had dedicated appropriate resources to providing a secure environment for the Games.

"The CGF regards the safety and security of the Games, for athletes and spectators alike, as being of paramount importance and of the highest priority," Fennell said.

"IR has vast Commonwealth, Olympic and multi-sport games experience and, importantly, has a detailed knowledge of what is actually being done with security for Delhi.

"A number of recent media reports on Games' security come from comments by those who have not worked on any aspect of security planning for the Delhi 2010 Games, and do not have any serious knowledge of the detailed plans across all aspects being put in place by local authorities."

Fennell said the Delhi organising committee had appointed internationally respected Indian government and police officials to head security operations.

Delhi Games security on track: Commonwealth Games Federation

Organising officials have expressed confidence in security planning for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The Commonwealth Games Federation issued a statement on Tuesday dismissing recent comments expressing concern about security as "ill informed."

CGF president Michael Fennel says independent experts have found that "security planning for the games is on track".

Mr Fennell says security remains a key issue for Delhi organisers but Indian authorities are "working well to ensure a secure environment for the games."

Australian officials said on Monday that athletes will face an "acceptable" risk at the event to run from October 3-14.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite says the risk is manageable but it's up to athletes to decide if they'll attend.

"At this stage we have no reason to believe the Games will not be an acceptable level of risk," Mr Crosswhite told AAP.

"But that doesn't mean it can't change.

"(And) as to whether athletes go or not, that's their own decision. We don't force anyone to go to the Games."

Acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean told reporters in Melbourne that Australia's high commission in New Delhi had been in close contact with the Indian authorities.

"At this stage, we continue to say that there is no reason for concern," Mr Crean said.

Mr Crosswhite will meet with government officials, federal police and intelligence agencies in Canberra this week to discuss security arrangements for Delhi.

CGF gives thumbs up to Games security planning

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on Monday gave a thumbs up to the capital's security plans for the October 3-14 Games, dismissing "ill-informed" safety concerns in the media.

Reacting to reports doubting capital's security plans, CGF president Michael Fennell said in a statement that all those concerns were "ill informed" and security planning for the Games was firmly on track.

"The CGF regards the safety and security of the Games, for athletes and spectators alike, as being of paramount importance and of the highest priority," Fennell said.

He said the CGF had full trust in its security advisor Intelligent Risks Pty Ltd (IR), which has vast Commonwealth, Olympic and multi-sport games experience.

"A number of recent media reports on Games' security come from comments by those who have not worked on any aspect of security planning for the Delhi 2010 Games, and do not have any serious knowledge of the detailed plans across all aspects being put in place by local authorities.

"In contrast, IR is deeply involved with all levels of the security plan, and its analysis is being undertaken by operatives with senior command or managerial experience in international major events," Fennall said.

"We value their considered and informed view, which is, that the Indian authorities are working well, with appropriate resources being provided," Fennell said.

Fennell said both the Organising Committee and Delhi Police had put in place a mechanism and also pointed out that Home Minister P Chidambaram had established the International Security Liaison Group within his portfolio to ensure appropriate international cooperation on security for the Games.

"The Ministry and OC have advised there will be a second Games International Security Conference around June 2010 to keep all nations informed, and importantly, involved," Fennell said, adding the next comprehensive CGF security adviser's review is scheduled to take place in late February and early March.

South Africa 2010 to Decide Africa's Fate

The succcess or otherwise of the FIFA World Cup that South Africa is hosting this summer has been described as the likely determinant of whether the African continent has the capacity to host the Olympics.

Ed Hula, editor of Around the Rings magazine that has just named FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter as the person to weild the greatest influence in the Olympic Movement this year, said yesterday that once the World Cup is a success, there was no denying the country the chance to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

"If the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is a success, the country is clearly in the running for the 2020 Olympics. Rio de Janeiro called for the first Games in South America and succeeded. We could see this happen with Africa," observed the ART editor in the current edition of the magazine.

Interestingly, Hula's observation appears to reinforce the general impression of most members of the Olympic movement within Africa.

Previously, the continent was concidered to lack both the capacity and men to drive a global multi-sports event like the Olympic Games. But Blatter's faith on the South African project has now opened a floodgate of opportunities, that is, if success is achieved this summer with the hosting. Nigeria in 2007 lost the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow. The bid failed principally because members of the Commonwealth Games Federation were not convinced that Abuja nor any other African city has the capacity to host a successful Games.

Blatter while throwing his hat into the ring in support of South Africa for the World Cup, had in the wake of talks of possible taking away the hosting from Mandela's country due to slack in Stadium construction said there were plan B and C. "Plan B is South Africa while Plan C is also South Africa."

It is not impossible that Blatter's running of FIFA may have catapulted him to the top of the annual Around the Rings 'Golden 25' ahead of his International Olympic Committee (IOC) counterpart, Jacques Rogge, who managed the second position. Blatter has served as an IOC member since 1999.

In the past 14 years ATR has listed the most important and powerful figures in the Olympic Movement.

The FIFA President, who is ranked at number 53 in the Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people, was also named by EUROSOCCER as Switzerland's most influential person in November last year.