Kapil wants no clash between Tests, CWG

Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev Saturday indirectly favoured the rescheduling of India-Australia Test matches slated in October as they may clash with the dates of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi from Oct 3 to 14.

'It all depends upon the administration and decision makers to make the schedule of these events. Commonwealth Games are undoubtedly a prestigious event for the country and I hope that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the government of India would sort out this issue of schedule at the earliest,' said Kapil Dev, while talking to reporters here Saturday evening.

The Games in Delhi will be the biggest sporting extravaganza to be held in India after the 1982 Asian Games.

The Games' dates are clashing with the Test matches between India and Australia that are scheduled for Oct 2 at Mohali and Oct 10 at Bangalore.

Kapil Dev, who is among the highest wicket takers for India, was in this union territory Saturday to take part in the Queen's Baton Relay after the Chandigarh administration officially received it here Saturday evening.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising committee of CWG, had also written a letter to union Sports Minister M.S. Gill on the rescheduling of the India-Australia Test matches.

Bamboo dance by Mizo dancers at Commonwealth Games

The traditional and popular bamboo dance of the Mizos, known as 'Cheraw', would be performed by around 80 dancers from Mizoram at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

An official statement today said that the state government had accepted the invitation from the Commonwealth Games 2010 Committee to perform the colourful 'Cheraw' at the ceremony to be held in the first week of October.

Mizoram had found its way into the Guinness World Records with a 'Cheraw' performance featuring 10,736 participants on March 12 this year.

Commonwealth games: Haryana to offer camping sites

The Haryana government is in the process of setting up tented accommodations in Faridabad for the visitors during the Commonwealth Games in October.

“It will be for the first time that visitors from across the world can enjoy luxury of tents and that too in Surajkund, close to Delhi,” said S.N. Rai, managing director, Haryana tourism corporation.

“I believe the tents will be given preference by the visitors during the Commonwealth Games,” Rai said, adding, “tented accommodation will also be set up in Dundahera.”

The project is coming up on a public-private-partnership basis. The tourism department of Haryana had recently invited applications from private companies interested in setting up and running five camping sites at Surajkund in Faridabad, Hodal in Palwal, Dundahera and Damdama in Gurgaon and Dharuhera in Rewari.

“The response from the private companies has been overwhelming. We will soon decide which company will get what site,” Rai said.

“We will take care of infrastructure development, but the setting up of tented accommodation and running it will be handled by private players,” he added.

The Haryana tourism corporation has allocated 50 acres in Surajkund, 48 acres in Dundahera, 1.50 acres in Hodal, 0.75 acres in Dharuhera and 23.50 acres in Damdama for the camp sites.

“The camping site at Surajkund will be allotted to a reputed private company for four months, beginning September 1, 2010. The Dundahera camping site will be given for six months, Hodal and Dharuhera for one year each and Damdama for 11 years period,” Haryana tourism department stated in the expression of interest it issued recently.

The tourism corporation officials said at all such camping sites will have all basic infrastructure.

Special sight-seeing buses in Agra during CWG

Tourists visiting Agra during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi will be taken for sight-seeing in special tour buses to be launched very soon.

Agra district authorities Saturday announced a plan to start an exclusive sight-seeing bus service, which will pick up tourists from hotels and take them around local tourist spots.

Another bus service will take tourists to Fatehpur Sikri, District Magistrate Amrit Abhijat said.

Abhijat said the special buses will make it convenient for tourists to see not just the Taj Mahal but also other historical monuments in the city.

The administration also announced a total ban on spitting and littering near historical monuments. Violaters of the order would be booked and fined heavily.

New hoardings and signages for the convenience of tourists are also being put up near the Taj Ganj area around the Taj Mahal.

Commonwealth games on LeT, Qaeda radar: US analyst

With less than hindered days to go for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi, security concerns have resurfaced with a US think-tank affirming that the terror threat to the international sporting event still holds good.

When a national news agency questioned the Vice-President of Tactical Intelligence, Stratfor, Scott Stewart if the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to kick start in OCt 2010, was still on the terror radar, he said, "Yes".

"Yes. Two days after the Feb 13, 2010 blast in Pune, Ilyas Kashmiri (a wanted al-Qaeda terrorist) threatened the Field Hockey World Cup, the Indian Premier League cricket competition and the Commonwealth Games," Stewart is quoted as saying by the news agency.

Substantiating his statements, Mr Stewart recalled the warning issued by Kashmiri speaking of the continuation of the "attacks all across India until the Indian army leaves Kashmir".

The al Qaeda leader, who had said that the season three of Twenty20 cricket series Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Hockey World Cup were potential targets, had also warned the participating countries against sending their atheletes to India.

Cautioning that the country can not wait for a similar terror warning to be issued by the terrorists themselves to step up security and be prepared to thwart any strike, the analyst said, "If you are a militant group planning an attack, the last thing you want to do is to provide a distinct warning and place the security forces on high alert.

"There are, however, many different militant outfits (such as the LeT) that have an interest in hitting India and it is possible that one of them may be planning something," Stewart said.

"Again, we would not expect to hear a threat from a group that was planning an attack, especially the closer we edge to the event they want to attack. They would be very quiet. Publicised threat statements made by militants are not a reliable way to judge the true threat to an event," he added.

Usain Bolt won't run at CWG, confirms manager

Usain Bolt will not be running at the Commonwealth Games, his manager Ricky Simms confirmed to TOI on Wednesday.

"I can 100 per cent confirm that Usain will not be running at the Commonwealth Games," Simms informed after the sprint champion’s name figured in the preliminary list of athletes submitted to the Commonwealth Games organisers by the Jamaican Olympic Association.

"Maybe this list was sent in some time ago," Simms added. "The Commonwealth Games is not on Usain’s schedule for this year."

Simms in fact, echoed what Bolt’s coach Glen Mills had said last week. Bolt had himself expressed doubts over his Commonwealth Games participation in a interview to TOI last year.

If finding Bolt’s name on the Jamaican list had raised the Games’ organisers’ hopes, Simms had a stern message for them.

"I do not understand why the CWG official cannot just accept his decision and stop putting out more stories in the press. They should focus on the athletes who are coming to India," Simms said through email.

Bolt might not be willing to come to India as a guest either, if invited. "I don’t think Usain would want to come to India as a guest. He is scheduled to resume training after a 4-6 week break at that time," Simms said.

Ministers to oversee CWG projects

With just three months to the Commonwealth Games and several infrastructure projects still in various stages of construction, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has asked her cabinet of ministers to personally monitor the progress of each work.

In a recent, informal cabinet meeting, Dikshit distributed areas to all her ministers and assigned inspection duties to them.

While finance minister A.K. Walia has been assigned east Delhi, public works department minister Rajkumar Chauhan has been asked to concentrate on works being carried out by his own department. Walia will also keep a tab on progress of all works the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is managing for the sporting event.

While the deadline of most of the projects has already been stretched, Dikshit has told her cabinet to ensure the projects do not get delayed any further.

Sources said health minister Kiran Walia has been asked to look at the projects in south Delhi. She is also overseeing the upgradation of medical facilities in Delhi hospitals.

Delhi social welfare minister Mangat Ram Singhal has been given charge of north Delhi projects.