Delhi can deliver the best ever CWG, says CoCom member

The early dilly-dallying notwithstanding, Delhi has made remarkable progress of late and has the potential to deliver the best ever Commonwealth Games next year, according to key CGF Coordination Committee (CoCom) member Perry Crosswhite.

Crosswhite was part of the Commonwealth Games Federation's CoCom which recently took stock of Delhi's progress and the CEO of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association sounded thoroughly impressed.

"The jury is still out but given the rapid progress that the organisers are making, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi have the potential to be the best Games ever," he said.

Crosswhite said Delhi was slow to react but once they realised that time was of essence, significant progress was made in very little time.

"We have had concerns on occasions this year in regards to the organising committee's ability to meet deadlines and requirements. However, as 2009 draws to a close I am buoyed by the progress shown in the last couple of months.

After meeting with the CGF in October, organisers have appointed a number of international experts including village operations expert John Lade, event manager Peter Stewart and technology specialist Brian Norse. They all have significant experience in major games such as the Sydney Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games," Crosswhite was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

The Organising Committee were lax in their approach to the Games' preparation which drew flak from CGF top brass but once the Government of India took charge, progress has been fast-tracked.

Crosswhite said the government's involvement augured well for the Games.

"It's also pleasing to see that the Indian government has become more involved. They fully understand that the Games need to be a success for their country, their people and their standing on the international stage," he said.

After the three-day stock-taking, CoCom chairman Austin Sealy also patted the organisers for pulling up their socks.

"There has been noticeable progress over the last two months. However, with only nine months remaining, the intensity must continue," Sealy said.

No further delay please, CoCom pleads

The home stretch might still be some time away, but the Commonwealth Games Federation's (CGF) Coordination Commission (CoCom) chief Alan Sealy is hoping things fall in place much before that.

Here, along with other members of the commission, Sealy said after three days of inspections and studying reports from various agencies that though there had been progress over the past two months, work needed to be accelerated further.

Sealy said that the commission was concerned that the timetable had been extended by at least three months since the September deadline and that most venues will not be handed over to the Organising Committee (OC) till June.

"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," Sealy said on Wednesday after the commission glossed over detailed presentations from a range of functional areas like infrastructure, security, transport, accreditation, village operations, technology and venue operations.

But Sealy expressed satisfaction at the reports and the increased awareness among Indian officials. "Each session was extensive, with opportunities for us to question the OC and government to provide feedback. A series of action items have been identified and will be summarised in the commission's final report," said Sealy.

"It was certainly helpful to have the representatives of the Commonwealth Games Associations, who will bring their athletes to Delhi as part of this CoCom. Each of them has vast experience of what are the specific needs of their athletes and teams during the lead-in and competition period."

CoCom concerned over delay in completion of projects

The Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Commission (CoCom) today expressed concerns that the timetable for venue completion for the Games, in most cases, been extended by at least three months and, in some cases, it seems venues will not be handed over to the Organising Committee (OC) until June.

After completing its evaluation of the on going work for the Games, CoCom, chaired by CGF Honorary Treasurer from Barbados, Austin Sealy said,''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.'' ''As for the other outcomes of our meetings, a series of action items have been identified by the CoCom and will be summarised in the Commission's final report on this meeting,'' he added.

The CoCom, however, admitted that,''There has been noticeable progress over the last two months, however, with effectively only nine months remaining, the intensity must continue, and in fact, works must be further accelerated.'' ''We received detailed reports from the Organising Committee (OC) across key areas where we had previously identified delivery risks. These reports show an increased awareness of the work that must be undertaken,'' Sealy said. ''There was a sense of energy and urgency from Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of the OC, and the entire Delhi team about getting on with the job, which is a positive, and it is clear that everyone is committed to making these Games a success.

''Each session was extensive, with opportunities for us to question the OC and government and to provide feedback. There was a sharing of information. It was very much a two-way street.

''It was certainly helpful to have the representatives of the Commonwealth Games Associations who will bring their athletes to Delhi as part of this CoCom. Each of them has vast experience of what are the specific needs of their athletes and their teams during the lead-in and competition period,'' he added.

The CoCom will now report to the CGF and the Organising Committee (OC). The CGF President, Michael Fennell, will be arriving here on Friday to have discussions with the key members of the OC on the critical issues that have been identified by the Commission.

Commonwealth Games panel concerned at revised dates for venues

The Commonwealth Games Federation's Coordination Commission (CoCom) Wednesday expressed concern at the deadline for the completion of venues being extended by at least three months, and cautioned that further delays could compromise final preparations for the Oct 3-14 mega event.

The CoCom, chaired by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) treasurer Austin Sealy, completed its review of Delhi's preparedness for the 2010 Games.

"The commission was concerned that the deadline for venue completion has, in most cases, been extended by at least three months since the September forecast. And in some cases, it seems venues will not be handed over to the Organising Committee (OC) until June," Sealy said in a statement.

"We request the construction agencies to ensure that there are no further delays as this will place the OC in a difficult position and compromise final preparations and Games readiness," he said.

"As for the other outcomes of our meetings, a series of actions have been identified by the CoCom and will be summarised in the Commission's final report."

The deadline for the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, has been twice revised. The stadium is the venue for athletics, weightlifting and lawn balls. The athletics facility will be the last to be completed and June 30 has been set as the new deadline.

The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, scheduled to host gymnastics, cycling and wrestling, is also behind schedule as construction for the cycling velodrome started late. The deadline for completion of the venue is March 31.

The sports infrastructure is being handled by different government agencies. Of the 17 disciplines, nine will be held in stadiums of Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Sealy said he was, however, pleased to see that there was clear progress in a number of areas since September.

"There was a sense of energy and urgency from Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the OC, and the entire Delhi team about getting on with the job, which is a positive, and it is clear that everyone is committed to see a successful Games."

"We received detailed reports from the OC on key areas where we had previously identified delivery risks. These reports show an increased awareness of the work that must be undertaken," Sealy said.

"Each session was extensive, with opportunities for us to question the OC and government and to provide feedback. There was a sharing of infomation."

Sealy said there has been noticeable progress since CGF president Michael Fennell's visit to India in October.

"However, with only nine months remaining, the intensity must continue, and in fact, works must be further accelerated," he said.

The commission received detailed presentations from a range of key functional areas, including accreditation, village operations, security, technology, transport and venue operations.

Sealy also undertook visits to all competition venues.

The CoCom will now report to the CGF and the OC. Fennell will be arriving in Delhi Friday to have discussions with the key members of the OC on the critical issues that have been identified by the CoCom.

Successful Games common goal: COCOM chief

The CGF’s Co-ordination Commission (COCOM) began its three-day meeting to review the preparations of the Commonwealth Games on Monday by assuring the organisers of its full support for the 2010 event.

During the opening session of the sixth meeting of COCOM, chairman Austin Sealy of Barbados said all parties involved were working to make the Games a success. “We are all working towards the same goal — that of producing a successful Games next year,” Sealy said.

The meeting comes two months after Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell slammed the Organising Committee for the slow pace of work. However, CGF CEO Mike Hooper told The Indian Express on Thursday that significant changes had taken place in the work preparations since October.

OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi also said the eight-member COCOM would find considerable progress in all areas since it last visited the Capital in May. “This meeting is a good opportunity to introspect and review what needs to be done to achieve set milestones and timelines,” Kalmadi said.

“We have total clarity in management structure, with each functional area having separate heads,” he said, adding that the workforce had increased from 228 in May to 680 as on date. “About 200 others have been selected to join in next month. We will go up to 1600,” he added.

Kalmadi also mentioned that the revenue from TV rights and sponsorship deals had already exceeded expectations. “Against projected revenues of $30 million, we have already secured deals worth $42 million,” he said. “Major sponsorship deals had been signed and many more offers are under finalisation in the areas of banking, logistics, food and beverage, technology, transport and overlays provider etc.”

Sports secretary Sindhurshree Khullar sought COCOM’s advice in the Games preparations. “A lot of time has been spent in explaining things instead of getting on with the task of ensuring that the Games are conducted well. The level of monitoring the progress of the Games has gone up. Your advice will help us get on with it,” she said.

The meetings will be held through Wednesday evening after which COCOM would present its report to CGF president Fennell, who is expected to arrive in the city on Wednesday.

Apart from Sealy, COCOM also comprises Bruce Robertson (Canada), Sharad Rao (Kenya), Lisa Hindson (Australia), Perry Crosswhite (Australia), Chris Jenkins (Wales), Gideon Sam (South Africa) and Mike Hooper (CEO CGF).