"Teams not advised to miss Delhi"

The Foreign Office today stressed it had not advised any British teams not to compete in next year's Commonwealth Games.

A front-page report in the Daily Telegraph quotes a senior Whitehall source saying there was "virtually no chance" an England team would be sent to Delhi due to security concerns.

However, a statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) read: "The FCO has not advised any of the British teams not to participate in the Commonwealth Games.

"We are aware that the Commonwealth Games Federation had some concerns about preparations for the Games.

"We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities who are doing everything they can to ensure a safe and secure Games."

The issue of security for the Games has been under scrutiny since a number of terrorist incidents in the region and several major sporting events have already been moved from the subcontinent.

The England team withdrew from the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad in August after terrorist threats.

In March the Sri Lanka cricket team were ambushed while being driven to a match in Lahore, Pakistan. Twelve gunmen attacked their convoy, killing eight Pakistanis and injuring six Sri Lankan players.

After that incident, the Indian Premier League was moved to South Africa.

England deny Games withdrawal fears

ENGLAND'S Commonwealth Games officials insist they have received no security warnings to indicate the team must withdraw from the New Delhi event next year.
England general team manager Ann Hogbin issued a strong denial of a front page report in Wednesday's edition of the Daily Telegraph that claimed there was ``virtually no chance'' a team would be sent.

An online version of the report quoted unnamed political sources as saying that the formal pullout would be announced in the new year because safety there could not be guaranteed.

``That is definitely not the case. Our current and strong intention is to field a team for the games in Delhi next year,'' Hogbin said in a statement to The Associated Press. ``Of course, we have a duty of care to the athletes and other team members which we take very seriously.

``Despite having been given extensive briefings from relevant authorities, we have not received any indication that we should not participate in the games and we will continue to work hard to put in place the best possible arrangements for our team.''

Britain's Foreign Office told the AP that it has ``not advised any of the British teams not to participate in the Commonwealth Games.''

``We are aware that the Commonwealth Games Federation had some concerns about preparations for the games,'' the statement added. ``We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities who are doing everything they can to ensure a safe and secure games.''

The Telegraph claimed that Paul Stephenson, commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, voiced ``serious concerns'' about security arrangements in New Delhi following a visit this month.

Security at the Oct. 3-14 event has been under scrutiny since last year's terrorist strikes in Mumbai and the March attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in neighboring Pakistan.

Safety concerns and lax security were cited this year when England's badminton team pulled out of the world championships in Hyderabad, and Australia refused to play a Davis Cup match in Chennai.

The Commonwealth Games are set to be the biggest multiple-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games.

Organizers are expecting nearly 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories, along with nearly 30 heads of states.

This year, India's Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai said he was not aware of security threats to the games, and added that no special security measures will be undertaken for athletes from specific countries.

England may pull out of Commonwealth Games

There appears to be a genuine risk of England pulling out of next year's Commonwealth Games in India with police and security advisers fearing the team will be the target of Pakistani militants.

UK Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson visited Delhi earlier this month to inspect the Games sites and is said to have voiced serious concerns about the security arrangements.

A spokeswoman for the English Commonwealth Games has told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that the security situation is being monitored and a final decision on whether to take part will be made next year.

The UK's Daily Telegraph says advisers feel the safety of athletes cannot currently be guaranteed.

It would be the first time England has not competed in the 80-year history of the Games, to be held in New Delhi in October.

The report comes after the England badminton team pulled out of the world championships in India in August, saying security in the host city of Hyderabad was lax.

New Zealand's commitment to participating in the Commonwealth Games has not changed according to New Zealand's Olympic Committee.

Little girl to civilise Delhi

Delhi’s citizens are about to be introduced to a range of civic awareness messages over the next 10 months, right up to the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.A wide-ranging advertising campaign, ‘Come on Dilli’, with the messages delivered by a new city mascot — a cartoon-drawn, seven-year-old girl named Delhi ki Beti — has begun to dot Delhi’s billboards since December 12. India’s Capital will play host to athletes from 71 nations at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.The Delhi government feels that in addition to providing world-class infrastructure and facilities for the event, it is also critical that Delhi’s people come together as hospitable hosts. To instill that sense of hospitality, pride, care and concern for the city, it decided to undertake a public communication exercise.The ‘Civility Campaign’ has started with the outdoor media and will move on to radio, print and television. The campaign has been developed by Dentsu India’s social communications division, citizen dentsu, to which the local government’s stated objective was to enhance Delhi public’s civic sense, to address certain deep-rooted behaviour patterns typical to the city’s civic mindset.

The messages developed by Dentsu point to a greater range of civic awareness building than what may typically be required for just the Commonwealth Games. The use of solar power or the rejection of the use of plastic bags, for example.

Other issues such as pollution, car pooling, using the cellphone while driving, breaking traffic signals and defacing heritage sites are covered through messages that use English and Hindi, English nursery rhyme lines and even references to Ghalib.

Building pride in the city’s heritage is seen as a unifying factor since a significant number of Delhi’s residents have come in from other parts of the country.

Cartoon animals have been used in a rather tongue-in-cheek manner.

The youth who’s taken a toss off his motorbike because he jumped a red light is a monkey; the person defacing a heritage building’s wall is a rat; the chap chatting on his mobile phone while driving is an owl.

“The idea is to convey, in a dignified manner, that the people, in doing the things the ads bring up, are behaving like animals,” said Gullu Sen, national creative director, Dentsu India.

On whether the local Delhi population would respond to a little girl as the city’s mascot, he said: “Our initial mascot idea was a boy, but the chief minister felt we should use a girl child. Besides that, a lot of cities abroad have mascots.”

While it is tempting to compare Delhi ki Beti with the Amul girl who also delivers sharp, witty social messages, Sen preferred that the two not be compared, saying the Amul property has been built over time.

While the campaign’s budget is rumoured to be in the range of Rs 100 crore, there is no official confirmation on the figure. PK Tripathi, principal secretary in the chief minister’s office, said there was no fixed budget.

“We will intensify the campaign over the next few months and will release money depending on the various media used for it. The three-phased campaign will progress from ‘inform and inspire’ to ‘involve’ messages, to culminate with ‘hospitality’ statements.

Dentsu India won the Civility Campaign’s pitch in competition with 11 of the 15 government-empanelled advertising agencies that include some of India’s largest agencies.

Delhi in BA's Top 10 destinations for 2010

British Airways has selected its top 10 destinations for 2010, taking into account events like the FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympic Games, that can influence travel calendars.

Delhi, India is the stepping off point for tiger safaris at Bandhavgarh & Kanha besides being the venue of the Commonwealth Games.

Cape Town, South Africa expects to get half a million visitors for the FIFA World Cup in June, who will also enjoy stunning beaches, mountains & vineyards.

Istanbul, Turkey is a hotspot as the European Capital of Culture for 2010, offering great value for money.

Interest in Las Vegas, US has been rekindled by the film The Hangover, which also has great family entertainment.

Vancouver, Canada is a must for its skiing and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is on the radar for its stunning beaches and golf and spa facilities, and Dubrovnik, Croatia for its history, privacy and tranquility.

New York is always a favourite, Stockholm, Sweden has gained cred as the ‘European Green Capital’ in 2010, and The Maldives for its remarkanle beaches and coral reefs.

Watching Games may be a long haul for the disabled

Despite all the stadia for the Commonwealth Games 2010 being made barrier free for enabling the disabled and those with reduced mobility to watch the international sporting event, there is a grave risk that India may not be able to project its disabled-friendly image properly since inadequate alighting arrangements for such people near the Games venues would dissuade many of them from visiting the stadia.

The issue has been raised by Sanjeev Sachdeva, director of Sanjeevni, who has carried out access audits of various infrastructure projects such as the Delhi Metro, and buildings and premises such as the Dilli Haat. Mr. Sachdeva has noted with concern that while special parking facilities have been provided for the VVIP’s, Organising Committee members and officials, and ministers, senior bureaucrats and other selected dignitaries, but no such arrangements have been planned for persons with disabilities.

“No clear cut area has so far been marked as reserved alighting and safe zone for people with disabilities -- especially those with with mobility impairments -- and persons with reduced mobility which comprise senior citizens, families with young children and pregnant women,” he said. Noting that “due to security reasons” the general parking has been kept at an average distance of between 500 metres and a kilometre from the stadia, he said, it would be extremely difficult for people with reduced mobility or those carrying them to cover such long distances.

Delhi has been built seven times, but on this the eighth occasion, for the first time a lot of emphasis has been laid on making the sidewalks, roads and buildings, including the stadia, barrier free, Mr. Sachdeva said. He, therefore, demanded that without compromising on the security, such people should be provided with easy access to the stadia. Mr. Sachdeva has in a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also suggested that special buses with hydraulic lifts, such as those owned by non-government organisations like AADI, Amar Jyoti and EOC University of Delhi, should be used for taking disabled and persons with reduced mobility from the parking lot to the stadium and back.

Also, there should be shuttle buses between various stadia to facilitate movement of passengers from one Games venue to the other. For the benefit of the visually impaired the main gate should be painted in bright colours (preferably yellow or red) for easy identification, he added.

Mr. Sachdeva has also suggested that special parking labels be issued by the traffic police to vehicles owned and registered in the name of persons with disabilities. These people should be told to apply for stickers and all the security regulations such as verification of disability certificate, need for an escort, and verification of other documents should be done at least two months before the Games to avoid any kind of inconvenience. “People with disabilities also have an equal right to watch and participate in the Commonwealth Games,” said Mr. Sachdeva.

England dismiss fears of mass exodus from Delhi Commonwealth Games

Chef-de-mission Craig Hunter has quashed suggestions that the Commonwealth Games will see development squads of gymnastics and athletics from England and allayed fears of a mass exodus of top athletes from the next year's mega event in the Indian Capital.

Athletics' officials have admitted that the European Championships in Barcelona next summer is of much more importance, while England's top gymnasts will compete in the World Championships in Rotterdam in a bid to qualify for London 2012. But Hunter, who managed England's swimmers at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games said, ''Let's wait until we board the plane in September. The majority of the household names have said they will be there but a lot of things can happen along the way.'' Team England will be sending over 380 athletes plus 200 team staff to Delhi, while Australia expect 425 athletes to travel for the October 3-14 Games. The Commonwealth Games are being viewed as a pathway into London 2012 and some sports are focusing on final preparations into the Olympics, such as Aquatics who are using it as their principle event next year. Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington has already given his word for the Delhi Games, saying a gold medal ''will be a highlight of my career''. However, Hunter did admit that there were a few problems that the Commonwealths pose to other sports. ''The calendar does clash and with funding the way it is there are other priorities for the governing bodies,'' Hunter told 'The Telegraph Sport.' England's Commonwealth Games chairman, Andrew Foster had earlier said that England's aim would be to beat Australia in Glasgow 2014.

''We can only set ourselves a target when we have done the work behind it,'' he had said earlier this year.

Hunter meanwhile said, ''That's a challenge for us. We want to achieve our best ever Games. We are continually raising the bar to be the top nation in the Commonwealth.''