Bolt keen to be in Delhi for the 2010 Games

Usain Bolt walked away with the Athlete of the Year award at the 2009 World Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo last weekend and I am glad my colleague on the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council and Jamaica Olympic Association secretary-general Neville McCook introduced me to the world sprint champion. I am happy to inform you that Bolt told me he is keen to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year.

Having also got International Athletic Foundation Honorary President Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAAF President Lamine Diack to agree to visit Delhi during the Commonwealth Games, I am now looking forward to a couple of days in London where I am meeting London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe.

I will discuss the legacy that such events can leave and am hoping to get the BBC to come on board as a rights holding broadcaster.

It is an honour to be chosen by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to represent India at the Nov 28 sports breakfast hosted by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Mr. Patrick Manning for the Commonwealth Heads of Government at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) retreat venue in Trinidad.
It gives us an opportunity to impress upon the Heads of Governments the legacy benefits that the Commonwealth Games will leave as well as the rapid growth of host city in terms of infrastructure and development.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Commonwealth Games will leave an amazing legacy for Olympic sport in our nation, creating an unprecedented sports consciousness among the Indians.

As for Delhi, you are well aware of how Delhi Metro is changing travel patterns, how additional overbridges and new roads will make life a great deal smoother for the citizens.

The new terminal that is coming up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport will be world class and become one of the hubs that will promote tourism into India.

I am sure Delhi will enjoy the benefits of the Games even after the mega event in October 2010.

Meanwhile, I am delighted that the Queen's Baton Relay 2010 is moving with clockwork precision across Europe, visiting iconic sites and being carried by some outstanding athletes.

The baton's 3381-km journey so far has been amazing, visiting iconic sites and bridging communities across the Commonwealth.

Amidst all this excitement, I am pleased to inform you that we have not lost focus of the ensuing visit of the Co-ordination Commission (CoCom).

We are well on the way to ensuring that all 34 Functional Areas of the Organising Committee are up to the mark and in keeping with the Games Master Schedule.

My team — and we are adding more and more personnel, including those being deputed by Government and the armed forces on our request as well as international sportspersons — and I are working hard to reach the milestones that we have set for ourselves.

I am confident that we will organise the best ever Games.

Rs84 crore to be spent in Commonwealth Games opening, closing ceremonies

India will spend Rs84 crore in conducting the grand opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, sports ministry said today.

Replying to a question at the Lok Sabha, minister of state for sports, Pratik Prakashbapu Patil said the theme and concept of the opening ceremony has been finalised while the same process is on for the closing ceremony.

"Rs84 crore approximately has been earmarked for the two ceremonies in the budget of the Organising Committee CWG Delhi 2010," Patil told the Lok Sabha.

"The concept and theme for the opening ceremony has been finalised. The theme and concept for the closing ceremony is in an advanced stage of finalisation. The operational details are being developed by the Organising Committee," he added.

He said the programmes for these two ceremonies will be ready ahead of the timeframe set by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

"The CGF have advised that the programme for the opening and closing ceremonies needs to be finalised early. The programmes will be ready in time," Patil said.

The minister also informed the House that the government was also giving attention to the training of Indian athletes for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games next year.

"The government has undertaken a special drive for the preparation of athletes for the 2010 CWG and 2010 Asian Games. These efforts will be furthered suitably for training of sportspersons who qualify for London Olympics.

Assocham for tax holiday for five-star hotels

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has called for a five-year tax holiday for all hotels including five-star establishments, especially in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), in view of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

'The government has already accorded tax holiday for five years for two-, three- and four-star hotels and even convention centres with a seating capacity of not less than 3,000 in the NCR of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad,' it said in a statement Wednesday.

This facility, according to Assocham, needed to be extended to all categories of hotels so that room capacity expansion takes place to accommodate tourists to India during the 2010 Delhi Games.

It said the infrastructure of the hospitality sector, especially in five-star hotel category in Delhi and NCR where majority of tourists are likely to stay during the event, was inadequate.

'Therefore, their capacities are required to be enhanced in which five-year tax holiday extension scheme would prove a great facilitator,' it said.

'The hotel industry is highly capital-intensive. A new five-star hotel needs investment ranging from Rs.300 crore to Rs.500 crore,' said Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat.

The chamber also reiterated its demand for infrastructure sector status for the hospitality industry to accelerate the pace of construction of more hotels across the country.

Wait till the Games for a secure Capital

Delhi Police are planning big things for a secure Capital. Only, most of these things will kick into action only by next year when the Commonwealth Games are scheduled.

The Ministry of Home Affairs have sanctioned 56 CCTV cameras for all the big markets and 27 such cameras at border check posts.

“CCTV cameras are being procured. We will install all the cameras before the Commonwealth Games,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Cameras have been installed at market complexes in Vasant Vihar and at Ghazipur border.

There are several blind spots and market complexes where CCTV cameras are not working.

Police also plan to get real time video footage from across the city at the headquarters.

Gill draws flak over Games preparations

Faced with a volley of criticism about Delhi’s lack of preparedness for the Commonwealth Games next October, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs M S Gill had to do much firefighting in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

While Gill sought to allay concerns and assured that all work would be completed on time, several members called the situation worrisome.

Initiating the debate, BJP’s Kalraj Mishra said the ugly conflict between Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennel and Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi had reflected badly on India in the international arena. He expressed concern over the delay in completion of works at stadiums, shortage of accommodation, and security arrangements for the sports event.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said India would make a mockery of itself if it did not get its act together.

India assures foolproof security for 2010 Commonwealth Games

India has promised foolproof security for next year’s Commonwealth Games to be staged in New Delhi.

The senior functionaries of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee disclosed this to reporters here on Thursday.

Earlier, plans were discussed at the two-day international security liaison conference organised by India’s federal Home Ministry and attended by experts from 26 of the 71 participating nations including Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

“All countries who had come, whether it is UK, Australia, they had come, they have seen not only the games village, they have seen the presentation and the security arrangements whether it is perimeter security within the games movements or from the games to the training and other venues and they were quite happy with that,” said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.

He also mentioned that as a part of the security measures, the venues may be sealed a week or a fortnight prior to the commencement of the mega event.

“We hope to seal the venue 7-14 days before the start of the games,” added G K Pillai, Home Secretary, Government of India.

India formed the liaison group due to heightened safety fears over travelling to New Delhi for the competition that will be staged in October 2010.

“We will be catering for additional resources to manage the Commonwealth Games so that the working of the day to day business as usual has to continue because we have to keep Delhi safe,” noted Y S Dadwal, Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

As for the threat perceptions in the sports arena of the sub-continent, gunmen ambushed the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in Lahore in March, raising concerns that sport could become a target in the region.

Later, England pulled out of the World Badminton Championships held in India by citing a ’specific terrorist threat’.

However, the tournament went off smoothly and consequently, the British Sports Minister expressed regret to his Indian counterpart.

Speaking on the preparedness of the venues for the Commonwealth Games, Sindhushree Khullar, India’s Sports Secretary mentioned that all the venues will be definitely ready well in time.

Delhi had bagged the contract after beating the Canadian city Hamilton in the bid for the games.

The Games will be staged in India for the first time and in Asia for the second time. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be India’s first major international sports event after the 1982 Asian Games.

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has committed its support to Canadian athletes competing in Commonwealth Games.

The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has committed its support to Canadian athletes competing in the October 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Over the next ten months, the ICCC will support the efforts of the Commonwealth Games Foundation Canada (CGCF) to facilitate the "Dream it in Delhi" campaign - an initiative which will help send approximately 250 Canadian athletes to compete against more than 70 other nations and territories at the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, October 3 to 14, 2010.

"We are committed to supporting these world-class athletes who will represent Canada at the Commonwealth Games," said Asha Luthra, ICCC President. "The ICCC and CGC share an important common goal: promoting and improving the relationship between Canada and India. We are proud to support Canadian performance on the international stage, and the strengthening of this relationship through sport."

On November 20, the ICCC kicked off its campaign for Canada's athletes at its Holiday Gala Dinner Dance in Toronto.

The ICCC's donations will contribute to the CGC's Adopt-an-Athlete program, which covers expenses related to travel and accommodation, medical services, team uniform, and media operations, among other costs. The ICCC joins several companies and organizations that have already made a donation to the program.

"We are thrilled that the ICCC has extended its support for Canadian athletes," said Krista Benoit, Director of Corporate Development of the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada. "This partnership is an obvious fit, and ICCC's investment in Canada's athletes will help to contribute to our goal of best-ever performances at the Games in Delhi, India."

Members of the public are invited to contact CGC or visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for details on how to contribute to the "Dream it in Delhi" fundraising campaign.