Coast Games bid needs a little TLC

THE Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games bid is on life support.

Despite attracting interest from Commonwealth Games delegates and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the bid is on shaky ground.

Premier Anna Bligh yesterday said if the bid was not successful, the Coast would definitely host games during the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

"We put our hat in the ring. If we got the World Cup, there might have to be some reconsideration of the bid. I'm just being honest about it," she said.

Mr Rudd has failed to offer any funding for the Games bid, instead directing his attention to the FIFA World Cup.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite has said the bid would require substantial federal support.

Ms Bligh said the decision for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup host countries would be made next December.

In the meantime, the ACGA will decide in the new year whether to pursue the Gold Coast bid.

"The ACGA has made it absolutely clear to me that if they decide that Australia should bid, there is only one place to consider and that is the Gold Coast," she said.

"They were excited about what the Gold Coast has to offer versus any other capital city in Australia. They think its the Gold Coast that would give us the competitive edge in a bid."

Ms Bligh, who travelled to Delhi to speak with Commonwealth Games delegates in October, said the FIFA decision was a serious threat to the Coast bid.

"I expect that it will be a factor that needs to be taken into account.

"The emergence of a serious bid by Auckland will also be taken into account, but without a doubt the Gold Coast is in play and we are going to back it to the hilt."

Ms Bligh said she was looking forward to hosting FIFA World Cup matches on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Additional staff to speed up CWG preparation: Govt

The apprehensions regarding the progress of work notwithstanding, the Indian government insisted that the venues for next year's Commonwealth Games would be completed on time by deploying additional machinery and increasing the number of supervisory staff. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Prakashbapu Patil said the progress of work was being monitored closely.

"The work on all the competition venues is progressing at a rapid pace, recovery plans have been worked out, wherever required, which inter-alia, includes increase in the number of supervisory staff and labour, increase in working hours, deployment of additional machinery, close monitoring and procurement of critical and special items, to compete the work within the revised targets," Patil said.

The Minister's assurance comes a day after the Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Commission, expressed concern about the extension of timetable for venues' completion.

The CGF Commission, which concluded its three-day inspection tour, said further delays would put the Organising Committee in a difficult position and "compromise final preparations and Games' readiness."

"We urge the construction agencies to ensure that no further delays are encountered, as this will place the OC in a difficult position and compromise final preparations and Games readiness," Chairman of the Commission Austin Sealy had said in a statement.

The Minister also admitted that shortage of hotels

in the capital was a concern but said the city would be well-equipped to handle the influx of foreign tourists when the multi-discipline event is held from October 3 to 14 next year.

"Government of India has assessed that approximately 40,000 rooms under categories in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) would be required to meet the demand of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

"In order to address the shortage of hotel rooms in the Delhi NCR for the Games, hotel projects are being implemented by various agencies in National Capital territory of Delhi and states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh which are being monitored regularly by the Ministry of Tourism

through the task force set up for this purpose," he said.

Headley had plans to target Delhi Commonwealth Games

Intelligence Bureau sleuths have unearthed yet another target of David Headley, the American national and Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative who has been arrested in Chicago for planning out terror activities on Indian soil.

IB sources told rediff.com that following the success of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had major plans to carry out a strike during the 2010 Commonwealth Games which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in 2010.

The CWG in New Delhi stands at the top of the list of terror targets. IB officials say that there are at least ten terror alerts they pick up every week regarding the games.

When David Headley was in India , he had conducted a reccee of various targets, including those which were attacked on November 26, 2008. He was also present in the control room that helped coordinate the attack. It was after the Mumbai attacks that a plan was hatched by the Lashkar leadership to carry out a fidayeen-styled attack at the Commonwealth Games. The Lashkar wanted Headley himself to survey the targets and prepare a chart. However, before the plan was executed, Headley was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.

IB sources, however, add that the threat to the games has not vanished altogether after the arrest of Headley. The threat perception at the games is still very high, but Indian agencies are prepared to ward off any threat. There is constant monitoring and every alert being picked up is shared with the officials concerned. For India, the games are a matter of national reputation and it will take every step to secure the same, home ministry officials pointed out.

Headley, during his visit to New Delhi, had gone around the sites where the games are to be held. However, his prime focus was the Mumbai attacks then, and he did not go too much into the details of the games venues. He had planned a return to Delhi after the Mumbai attacks, and then carry out a thorough reccee of the area.

Security experts say that securing the games should top the priority of every agency in the country.

"We need to rely upon inputs not only from within the country, but also from other countries as well. This should not be treated as a subject of New Delhi alone, but a coordinated effort needs to be adopted. It is not necessary that only a Delhi module would be working on the games. The Lashkar keeps changing its strategy from time-to-time, and in many cases, modules from an alien land have worked on different targets," IB officials also point out.

New Delhi 2010 - Ndanusa Says Nigeria Willl Be Continents Best

Even as preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi are yet to commence, Sports Minister and chairman, National Sports Commission, Sani Ndanusa said Nigeria will post the best performance by Africa nations at the Games.

Ndannusa made the charge while unfolding plans to host the Queen's Baton Relay team between December 18 and 20 in Abuja and Lagos, Engineer Ndanusa said the country would feature athletics, boxing, elite athletes for disabled, wrestling, weightlifting and table tennis he considered the country's strong holds at the New Delhi games.

"Nigeria has taken part in eleven Commonwealth Games and won medals with the highest number being in 1994 when she won 37 medals in Victoria , Canada . In New Delhi Games, Nigeria 's target is to post the best African performance in the Games.

Towards this end, efforts are in top gear to ensure that Nigerian athletes are adequately prepared for the challenge", thus Engineer Sani Ndanusa declared yesterday.

He however, stated that the NSC is currently operating open camp, and would start close camping from February with notable athletes to be listed for major international championship as part of their preparations.

The Queen's Baton Relay team due in the country is to the Commonwealth what the Olympic torch Relay is to the Olympic Games; and Ndanusa said, "It is intended to go through the 71 member nations of the Commonwealth before the New Delhi games".

"It is significant to note that Nigeria 's zeal to align with other Commonwealth nations to promote friendship and peace through sports is not in doubt.

"As we prepare to celebrate the Queen's Baton relay on tour of Abuja and Lagos , it is pertinent to remind ourselves that this will be the third time that the baton will be hosted in Nigeria .

It was first hosted in 2001, before the Manchester Games and then in 2006 before the Melbourne event".

Commonwealth Games 2010 on Headley radar: Intelligence

David Headley wreaked havoc in Mumbai. Now it has come to light, the 2010 Commonwealth Games were also the target of the Lashkar terrorist and his cohorts.

Intelligence Sources have confirmed to Headlines Today that Headley was planning a terror attack in the national Capital during the Commonwealth Games.

Not just this, the US-based terrorist of Pakistan origin was also planning to target the World Hockey Championship.

With an eye for detail, Headley was the man in charge of doing the recce for the Lashkar's terror missions. And he is believed to have scouted various spots in Delhi several times -- the latest being in March this year.

"I don't think 26/11 was the ultimate goal. They could have disrupted the Commonwealth Games. So security needs to be tightened," said M.K. Dhar, former joint director of Intelligence Bureau.

Experts believe that 26/11 is a reference point for the LeT for its future terror operations.

So, on the lines of 26/11, the Lashkar has planned a serial commando-style operation in the national capital, during the Commonwealth Games or the World Hockey Championship.

Delhi’s Anand Vihar rail terminal to open on Dec 21

The railways has decided to throw open the Anand Vihar mega railway terminal to passengers on December 21, a move which will help decongest New Delhi railway station ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.

According to railway sources, the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, is likely to inaugurate the station.

The terminal will be integrated with the inter-state bus terminus, located close by, and the Anand Vihar Delhi Metro station which is expected to be inaugurated by month-end, thus transforming the area into a major transportation hub.

By the time of the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, several trains to East would have been shifted to the Anand Vihar terminal.

The Rs 240-crore station, complete with modern amenities like ATM, foreign exchange counters and touch-screen enquiry system, will be opened with three platforms and a latest coach maintenance yard in the first phase.

The terminal, being developed as a greenfield project, will be the only station in the country having a station yard for loading and unloading parcels.

Ndanusa Promises Glorious Delhi 2010

The Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Engr. Sani Ndanusa has said that arrangements are being put in place to ensure that the country does well in the 2010 India Commonwealth Games.

Ndanusa was speaking in Abuja while giving the itinerary of the Queen's Baton Relay Team expected to arrive Nigeria on December 18, 2009 and will stay be in Abuja and Lagos till December 20.

The Queen's Baton Relay is to the Commonwealth what the Olympic Torch Relay is to the Olympic Games. It is also expected to go through the 71 member nations of the Commonwealth before the next Games in Delhi, India in 2010.

He recalled that Nigeria has participated in 11 Commonwealth Games and made appreciable impacts including the 1994 event in Victoria, Canada where she won a total of 37 medals.

On how best to ensure that the nation's athletes pose a five star performance at the Games, the Minister revealed that as from the first quarter of the 2010, the athletes will go into close camping.

"After about six weeks in the camp, they will be exposed to some tournaments to test their level of readiness for the Games; already we have some partners who are interested in giving us all the support".

Nigeria will be participating in Athletics, Boxing, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Table Tennis and Elite Athletes for Disabled.

The Queen's Relay Baton is coming to Nigeria for the third time, the first was Nigeria in 2002 before the Manchester Games and then in 2006 before the Melbourne event.

Also at the briefing was the Director General of the NSC, Dr. Patrick Ekeji and other Directors of the Commission.