Fennell: we will have good Games

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Michael Fennell has conceded that everyone has to share the blame and responsibility for the inadequate preparation, particularly in regard to the Athletes Village, even as he confirmed full participation of all the member-countries for the games set to open on October 3.

In the first news conference at the Main Press Centre (MPC) in Pragati Maidan on Saturday, Mr. Fennell said that it was time for all stake-holders to focus on the task on hand.

“There is quite considerable work left to be done. But everything will be ready and we will have good games,” Mr. Fennell said.

He said the Organising Committee had been entrusted with the responsibility by the CGF, which in turn was dependent on the developers to get things done. “In any games, there are a number of stakeholders, overall we have to ensure that we do everything to conduct the Games,” Mr. Fennell added.

He recalled his warning on the previous visit that cleaning was the key to projecting a positive image of the Games to the world in the run-up to the main event.

'Seven days to save face'

Driving around Delhi last week, as the rains poured on the Commonwealth Games party, it was difficult to believe this drenched city, which hardly looked in the mood to welcome visitors, was getting dressed for a big occasion. There were few billboards advertising the event and nothing seemed to be ready yet.

Worse, there was a clear lack of enthusiasm generally associated with such events.
Negotiating the jammed, waterlogged streets, the taxi driver said he wished his country had never set out to stage the Games.

“What are we getting from these Games?” Rajbir asked. “They have closed some roads making life difficult for us. There are few tourists coming. So much money has been spent and so much of it pocketed, and all that the country has got is shame.”

As the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were the “coming out party” for China, the Commonwealth Games had been expected to showcase “India Shining” on the global stage.

But after visiting Delhi last week, the sense of collective disillusionment sweeping through India is palpable.

Every new day sees more embarrassment heaped on a nation that was hoping to join countries such as China, South Africa and Greece who have been able to successfully bring showcase sporting events to the world.

Rajbir, the driver, navigated around some of the Games venues, which still resembled constructions sites with few workers in sight. The clean-up operations had yet to start.
An elevated road leading to the main arena for the Games, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, seemed ready for launch, but roads in the rest of the city were still full of spine-jarring potholes, some big enough to belong to the manholes category.

The taxi got stuck in one such ditch, an open gutter, and, with pants pulled up to the thighs, we valiantly tried to push it out without much success.

After an hour of getting soaked in the rains, a tractor finally helped us out – for an exorbitant price, of course.

“The funny thing is they have cleared jhuggis (slums) from around the city,” Rajbir said, “but they have forgotten to clean the rooms at the Games Village.”

Sarcasm about the shambolic build-up to the event, which has been dubbed the “Shame Games” by the Indian media, is rife.

“A collapse a day keeps the athletes away,” said an SMS from Shams Raza, a production executive with an Indian news channel, referring to a footbridge that collapsed outside the main stadium last Tuesday.

Later, as we met at the airport – the one impressive addition the Games have given Delhi – Raza showed us photographs of the filthy rooms from the Games Village. On the television sets at the new terminal, footage of the collapsed footbridge and an Australian journalist entering the main arena unchecked with a suitcase full of detonators dominated discussions.

“We have had seven years to put on a show,” Raza said. “Now we have seven days to save face.”

With salvage operations having started on a “war footing” since, India’s aspirations have been reduced to trying to protect the country’s image. But it could be a tad too late even for that.

Closing of CWG lanes to create traffic problems on city roads

People in the city are going to face traffic problems today with the Commonwealth Games lanes being closed for a few hours to facilitate athletes and their trainers who arrive in the city, police said.

''The Games lanes will be closed between 1100 and 1200 hrs and again between 2200 hrs to 2300 hrs. There will be partial restriction on the Games lane between Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Games Village,'' Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said.

There would be no exclusive Games Lane restriction on various stretches in the city except from the airport to Games Village, he added ''People are expected to give way to Games-related traffic on hearing the hooter/siren from the traffic pilot motorcycle and on directions of traffic police officials posted at intersections,'' Mr Garg added.

However, these restrictions are not applicable to the motor vehicles of Delhi Police, ambulances, fire brigades and other emergency service vehicles.

Earlier, the restrictions on the lanes had to be enforced from September 20. However, it was later postponed to today as according to the organisers, the first batch of Games athletes did not reach the city before yesterday.

Around 7,000 participants and officials from 71 teams are expected to attend the Commonwealth Games scheduled to happen from October 3 to 14.

37 athletes from 11 countries arrive for Commonwealth Games

Foreign contingents continued to drop in after CGF president Mike Fennell's assurance of full participation in the Commonwealth Games with 37 athletes and team officials from 11 nations and territories arriving here today.

Five Chefs de Mission -- Shelley Burich of Samoa, Tuelo Serufho of Botswana, Elizabeth Renay Petersen of Namibia, France Simon Lespoir of Seychelles and Mohammed Beade Sahnoon of Ghana and Samoa team official Tagifano Taosoga and Botswana team general manager Game Gynnith -- were among the arrivals.

The largest contingent to arrive here today was a 23 member delegation from Trinidad and Tobago, including athletes and officials from aquatics, archery, boxing, gymnastics and squash as well as a team doctor.

Three more officials from England and Cameroon team official Desire Vincent Tsanga Adzigui were among the arrivals, a release from the Organising Committee said.

Others to arrive were Isle of Man double trap shooter Timothy James Kneale, Guyana's full bore shooter Mahendra Persaud and Trinidad and Tobago's squash player Colin Ramasra.

England men's hockey and lawn bowl teams were the first foreign athletes to land here yesterday.

Only few athletes pulled out of games, says Mike Hooper

The Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Hooper on Saturday said that only a small number of athletes have withdrawn themselves from the Games.

He said that some athletes have pulled out for variety of reasons, security concerns, health concerns with dengue, conflicting sporting events, injury. But it is not as though hundred athletes have withdrawn.

He added that he is satisfied with the security arrangements at the Games venues.

"With the deployment of 80,000 police, 7,500 paramilitary, 3,000 commanders, lot of hi-tech stuff, I mean, it may well be that some people will perceive the security environment a little bit oppressive, but it's safe and secure, and that's what we want to have, safe and secure. I'd rather that than there be any incidents in and around Games venues," said Hooper.

He added that he is pleased with the cleaning up of the Games village, but maintained that it should have been done well in advance.

"Clearly there are still concerns that the team leaders out there at the Village are voicing them daily and ... fear to acknowledge there has been good progress over the last three-four days. All of this should have been done way in advance and been ready for them. It is very frustrating that we are where we are," said Hooper.

"But we have to accept that and get as much done as possible in the next couple of days. Deploy, as Mister Fennell asked the cabinet Secretary, and, I believe, as Government of India is now responding, deploy whatever is necessary to put things right," he added.

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.

Come as a friend and go back as family: Suresh Kalmadi's message to athletes

"Come as a friend and go back as a family," is the message that Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi today sent out to athletes and officials of the 71 Commonwealth countries.

After conducting a guided tour of the athletes village for journalists, Kalmadi, who is in the eye of a storm over Delhi's under-preparedness for the Games, said there was no question of him resigning and he would continue to be the president of Indian Olympic Association even after the Games.

He drifted away from giving any direct answers when asked about India's future as a venue for the Olympics Games in the near future.

"I am concentrating on the Commonwealth Games. We will talk about rest of it when the Games get over," he said.

Addressing a media conference at the village, Kalmadi said there is some work yet to be completed but will be done soon.

"Work is something that will happen till the end of the Games. We all have to work to make things possible. There is some work yet to be done but it would be completed," he said.

Talking about the Games and what Delhi has in store for the foreign athletes and officials, Kalmadi said, "Our slogan is 'come as a friend and go back as a family'. We are one big family and we will take care of everyone."

Seeking to allay fears over security after the recent shooting incident outside Jama Masjid, Kalmadi said, "That incident was not related to the Games but security has been spruced up after that. There is nothing to worry."

Asked if the pullout by a few star foreign athletes, citing health and security concerns, was a setback to the Games, he said, "I am sure lot of world champions are coming and new champions would be made here."

Kalmadi also said the cleaning process in the residential towers was already on and the water logging in the campus was due to the rains.

"It rained so much and hence the water logging had to happen. But today being a bright sunny day, the water has receded and rest has been pumped out. Hopefully, sunny days lie ahead."

Organising committee secretary general and spokesperson Lalit Bhanot, who came under criticism for saying Indian concept of cleanliness and hygiene was different from foreigners, said he was "misunderstood" earlier.

"I never meant anything of that sort. I was just telling about the difference of views on the methodology of cleaning things and I was misunderstood," he said.

Delhi airspace to partially close on Oct 3 and 14 for CommonWealth Games

Airspace over the national capital would remain partially closed for five hours during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, but domestic and international commercial air operations would not be affected.

The closure would be effective from 5pm to 10pm on October 3 and October 14 -- the opening and closing days of the Commonwealth Games, a civil aviation ministry official said.

Barring routine commercial flights and those of the Indian Air Force, Border Security Force and Aviation Research Centre, no other aircraft would be allowed to take off or land at the Delhi airport and those within a 300km radius, she said.

Flights of microlight aircraft and hang gliders from flying clubs and other airports would be banned during the five-hour period around Delhi on both days.

However, helicopters and aircraft owned by state governments, flying the governors or chief minister within the state, would be allowed after the necessary clearance from the Union home ministry, the official said.

Delhi's Safdarjung airport would also remain closed during this period "except for Indian Air Force helicopters which may be deployed on emergency or VVIP duties", she added.