Commonwealth Games a platform to exhibit positive behaviour: Shahbaz

Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that he does not expect the Queen Baton’s Relay (QBR) and the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to make any diplomatic breakthroughs, however this event is an opportunity to exhibit friendly and positive behaviour for all the participating nations.

Addressing a ceremony held to honour the QBR Director General Raj Kadyan, Commonwealth Games Member Organising Committee Mangalam Singh and veteran sportsmen and women who will be relaying the Queen’s Baton, the chief minister said that the Commonwealth Games were a unique event which united the shared link among the participating countries. He said that the QBT journey celebrated this event of sports and culture and delivered the message of Commonwealth’s camaraderie wherever it went. It binds all the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth with the solitary message of ‘peace and harmony through sports,’ he added.

The CM wished the Indian government and organisers best of luck for the event and assured them complete cooperation by the Pakistanis on each and every front. He thanked the Pakistan Olympic Association President Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hassan for his dedicated efforts for the promotion of sports.

CWG Member Organizing Committee Mangalam Singh lauded the hospitality of the Pakistan Olympic Association and thanked the chief minister for gracing the event with his presence. He said the CWG was meant for strengthening the bond between 71 nations and the most beautiful way of teaching competitiveness with tolerance and friendship. He said that the QBR symbolised a message of peace and harmony traveling through 71 countries.

India's biggest sporting extravaganza rolls out

Get ready for India’s biggest sporting extravaganza. On Thursday, the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 unveiled the plans for the handover of the Queen’s Baton from the Pakistan Olympic Association.

From an elaborate cultural extravaganza that will see Pakistani singing icon Rahat Fateh Ali create a cultural fusion with Indian qawali stars, the Wadali brothers, to the handover of the baton to India’s sporting star and Olympic medalist Vijender Singh and woman boxing legend Mary Kom, the show promises to be a fitting curtain-raiser to the Delhi Games 2010 in October.

Talking about the handover of the baton, OC head Suresh Kalmadi said, “It is a matter of immense pride for the entire nation. The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi will act as a great unifying force for the country. We have broken ground for more sportspersons (to participate) but most important, we are here at the Mecca of the Sikhs to receive the baton.” The enthusiasm of the state participants was more than apparent as a host of local dignitaries, including Navjot Singh Sidhu, turned out to welcome the unveiling of OC plans. The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 will enter India from the Wagah Border on June 25, and will be handed over to the Indian Olympic Association president, Kalmadi. The baton will thereafter be handed down to CWG president Michael Fennell, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and several other senior government officials.

For sports enthusiasts though, it will be the handing over of the baton to India’s Olympic medalist, Vijender Singh, followed by Mary Kom that’s bound to raise spirits. The relay will officially be started by Singh and Kom. Speculation is rife that a sportstar from the Pakistan sporting arena will also be part of the show, and will help the Pakistan Olympic Association president hand over the baton.

After the handover on Friday, the baton will travel through over 100 cities, using various modes of transport. From Punjab, it will be travelling to J&K and onwards, before reaching Delhi on September 30.

Few sponsors, OC ok with terms

It might not be as big a deal as sponsorship of the Indian cricket team but the organising committee (OC) seems more than satisfied with the terms, especially as it faces a scarcity of sponsors. Reebok, the international sportswear company, is to sponsor the uniforms of the Indian contingent at the Commonwealth Games 2010. The sponsorship, worth Rs 10 crore, is in the form of kits and accessories like shoes for the team, said OC secretary-general, Lalit Bhanot.

The sponsorship, which will have 750 Indian athletes sport the logo on all their apparel and kit, even casual wear, comes at a time when the OC has been desperately looking for sponsors. According to sources, the Committee had earlier come out with a request for proposal (RFP) for uniforms which had got dismal results. Said a senior OC official, ‘‘The only company which showed interest in sponsoring was Reebok. They wanted the Indian team to sport the logo, and sponsor their uniform. So the sponsorship deal was signed with them.’’ On being questioned, Bhanot admitted that the show major would be sponsoring three competition kits, two training kits, bags, accessories, shoes as well as the casual wear for the athletes and the technical officials who will be accompanying the team. Added Bhanot, ‘‘Its a value in kind (VIK) deal with Reebok. We are happy with the sponsorship.’’ Interestingly, the OC has also awarded a contract to the same company for uniforms for OC officials and volunteers, starting from the national sector of the Queens Baton Relay (QBR).

This contract is worth Rs 10 crore. This will include providing apparel and other sportswear to around 33,000 OC officials including volunteers and maintenance staff. OC has been looking for sponsors for some time now. After Hero Honda, which signed on as a co-partner with the Games, and the Indian Railways, the only other company to sign on has been Coca Cola. Sources say OC is also hoping to rope in Tata Motors as sponsors for the national sector of the Queen’s Baton Relay. Tata Motors will be providing the vehicles that form part of the convoy. Said a senior OC official, ‘‘The deal has not been finalized yet, but we are in talks with the company to associate with the QBR through sponsorship of the convoy vehicle.’’ If the motor company comes on board, it would be the second such company after Hero Honda. Till now, the OC has not been able to generate as much revenue from sponsorships and other avenues as had been expected. While it earned around Rs 300 crore from TV rights, it got a Rs 100 crore deal from the Indian Railways. The loan taken by the OC for conducting the Games meanwhile is Rs 1,620 crore.

Run for Commonwealth Games tomorrow

In the run up to the Commonwealth Games 2010, The Times of India, in association with Chandigarh-based pharma company Fenfuro that manufactures innovative diabetes management products, is organizing a run in cities like Chandigarh, Ambala, Jalandhar, Ludhaina, Shimla, Jammu and Srinagar.

The run, which already took place in Amritsar on June 20, has been a grand success in the city. Next in line are events that would be organized in Chandigarh and Jalandhar on June 26. The Times of India has invited all residents to participate in the event and make it a huge success. The run will start from Sukhna Lake at 6.30 am and culminate at Bougainvillea garden.

In Jalandhar, the run will start from DPS, Jalandhar, and culminate at Viva Collage Mall. Cash prizes for first three positions and early bird T-shirts will be an added attraction for the participants. The events have been co-sponsored by Viva Collage Mall, Jalandhar, and Leader Bicycles, Ludhiana. Verka is the beverage partner.

DMRC fast-tracks Badarpur line for September finish

The Central Secretariat-Badarpur Metro corridor is expected to meet its Commonwealth Games deadline with the Delhi Metro putting work on the fast-track on this 20-km stretch. With plans to commission the line by September, the DMRC announced on Thursday that trial runs on a section of the corridor could begin by July 1.

“We are planning to lower four coaches of a standard gauge train at the ramp located between Jangpura and Lajpat Nagar this Saturday night. Initially, trials will be conducted on the 9-km stretch between Central Secretariat and Lajpat Nagar, they will be gradually extended to other sections as they get ready,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

“It will take a few days to assemble the train and trials should begin by July 1,” he added.

The DMRC has undertaken this special procedure for the first time and it is expected to save at least a month’s time.

The coaches will be brought from the Mundka depot on special trailers and permissions have been sought from the Delhi Traffic Police to divert traffic near Defence Colony and Moolchand flyovers from 11 pm on Saturday till 6 am on Sunday.

The 20-km Line 6 of the Metro network will eventually be integrated with the existing Line 2 (Central Secretariat-Jahangirpuri). But as Line 2 is built on broad gauge, the new underground station constructed alongside the existing one will serve as an easy interchange point once the new line comes up.

“Walls of the existing Central Secretariat station will be pulled down to merge it with the new station. It will provide an access between the concourse and the platform levels of the two stations,” said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

“Once completed, this will be the only Metro station in the world with two gauges,” he added.

Games an opportunity to showcase Indian history, culture, says Kalmadi

The Queen’s Baton Relay which reached Pakistan on Wednesday will be handed over to the Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi on Friday at the Attari border by Pakistan Olympics Association chief Syed Arif Hassan. A rehearsal for the reception was held on Thursday at the border according to protocol with India and Pakistan officials amid high security.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Commonwealth Games Chief Executive Officer Mike Hooper will attend the reception of the Baton on Friday. Earlier, while addressing the media, Kalmadi said Mike Fennell, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, will be the chief guest on the ocassion.

“We are thankful to Pakistan as without their help we could not have won the bid for Commonwealth Games. Tomorrow’s reception of the Baton will also be a new chapter for the Indo-Pak friendship,” said Kalmadi adding that he was happy that Punjab, which has produced some great sportspersons, is the first state to host the Baton.

He said the Games are the country’s biggest sports extravaganza after the Asian Games. It is an opportunity for India to showcase its cultural and history before the world, he said, adding that holding such big events are not the prerogative of the developed countries alone.

On the criticism over the arrangements falling apart, he said the critics will be silenced once everything is finalised.

“The opening and closing ceremonies will be remarkable and those who witnessed the Beijing’s Olympics would have us to make comparisons,” boasted Kalmadi, flanked by BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab Olympics Association general secretary Raja Sidhu, MP and Games’ Media Committee Chairman Tarlochan Singh. After receiving the Baton, it would be handed over to the winner of the Olympics bronze medal Vijender Singh and women world boxing champion Mary Kom to start the Indian leg of the relay, said Raja Sidhu.

Navjot Singh Sidhu and Mayor Shawet Malik will receive the baton on the outskirts of the city to take it to the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir and finally to the Company Bagh. “This is a historic occasion and a cause for celebrations,” said Kalmadi. Tarlochan Singh said the Wadali brothers from India and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan will recite qawwalis at the border.

Queen’s Baton Relay

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) is an enduring tradition of Commonwealth Games. It was introduced in 1958 games in Cardiff, Wales. In 1998 Games, held at Kuala Lumpur, the QBR traveled to other Commonwealth countries for the first time. The Baton has evolved into the symbol of unity and diversity of the Commonwealth nations. The Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi has been created by using the triangular section of aluminum which is twisted in the form of a helix and is coated with soil in graduating pattern. A message from the Queen is engraved on a 18 karat gold leaf, using the modern laser technology know as micro calligraphy. The Baton is 664 millimeters high, 34 millimeters wide at base and 86 millimeters at top and weighs 1,900 grams. It has a GPS fixed to it and can be traced where ever it goes. The LEDs fixed on it display the flag of the country where it is traveling.

Baton showcases power of sport to bridge societies

There are a hundred days to go for the start of the XIX Commonwealth Games. What a lovely day it promises to be, with us assembling at the Wagah Border to receive the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi from Pakistan after travelling to 69 nations across the Commonwealth over 240 days.

I am excited that we are witnessing the power of sport to be a bridge between societies. Our colleagues in the Pakistan Olympic Association have always offered us great support—helping us in November 2003 to win the bid to host the Games and standing by us through thick and thin, seeing themselves as co-hosts. I am confident, therefore, that Indo-Pakistan sport will remain an important connect between the peoples of the two great nations.

I am delighted that the Baton has completed a remarkable journey over 170,000 km on the international sector from the time it was launched in Buckingham Palace on October 29, 2009 by Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of President Smt. Pratibha Patil.

The Baton has passed through the hands of numerous Heads of State and leaders, ace athletes and common folk. It has been to iconic locations, been to parks that speak out for conservation of flora and fauna in keeping with our resolve to host the first Green Games. It has been exposed to a variety of modes of transport and has encapsulated the diversity of the Commonwealth.

But more importantly, it has demonstrated the remarkable power of sport to unite the Commonwealth. It is a powerful tool that can strengthen social ties and networks, and promotes ideals of peace, fraternity, solidarity, non-violence, tolerance and justice — all that independent India has stood for.

It has also acted as an ambassador for the Delhi Commonwealth Games, inviting the athletes from far off lands to come here for the celebrations of the Games. Back home in India, as it covers 20,000 km over the next 100 days, the Baton will be a wonderful opportunity for us to instill a greater sense of national pride in ourselves and to promote Olympic sport.

I must thank the Governments of each state and UT for being an integral part of this project that will touch millions of people. I am sure the Baton can and will be the launch pad for the creation of a greater sense of sports consciousness in the country. On this milestone day, with just 100 days to go for the curtain to go up on the biggest sporting spectacle in India, the Organising Committee renews it commitment to hosting not just a successful Games but also a grand and memorable one.