Hooker to lead Aus athletes at 2010 Games

Athletics Australia has named a 69-strong squad for the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi after the three-day Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games selection trials in Perth, according to information reaching here.

National pole vault champion and athletics team captain Steve Hooker (pole vault) will lead a squad that features a mix of youth and experience — Liz Parnov (pole vault) at 15 years of age is the youngest athlete nominated and track veteran Patrick Johnson (4x100m relay) the oldest at 37.

John Steffensen (400m and 4x400m relay) is another big name who will defend his 2006 titles in Delhi. Fabrice Lapierre, Chris Noffke and Mitchell Watt were all named in the men’s long jump.

A team of up to 90 athletes is expected to be named to the final squad, to be announced following the close of the qualifying period on August 15, Athletics Australia said.

“God, I can’t even describe it, I’m just so overwhelmed and happy and grateful to my family and my coach,” Liz Parnov, 15-year-old daughter of Russian pole vault guru Alex Parnov, said. “I have my bad days, she (Vicky) has her bad days but in the end we’re still sisters,” she said.

“Knowing Vic could do it, it really made me realise I had a chance and especially with my training group, I have Steve Hooker, Alana (Boyd), Amanda (Bisk), all of these amazing pole vaulters,” she added. “To have jumped what I have jumped and to make it is pretty cool.... But I don’t really think about how old I am, I’m just like everyone else, trying to do my best.”

Australian Commonwealth Games Association Chief Executive Perry Crosswhite said the Games were a great place for Australian athletes to “learn to win”.

“The Commonwealth Games gives them that opportunity (to win) then they go on (to win elsewhere). That’s what happened with Steve Hooker who won at the Commonwealth Games, then went on to win the Olympics and world championships.”

Crosswhite added that the ACGA has planned to take a team of about 425 athletes — its biggest squad ever sent to an overseas Games. Australia collected 16 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze medals in the 2006 edition of the Games in Melbourne.

Pakistan confirms participation in Asian Rugby Sevens Invitational

Delhiites can look forward to a fast and furious long weekend as top eight Asian rugby sevens teams including Pakistan battle it out for supremacy in the Asian Rugby Sevens Invitational Tournament. The two day high adrenalin championship will be played at the picturesque Delhi University North Campus grounds beginning tomorrow. The event, which is being treated as a test event en-route to the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, is also a part of the Asian Rugby Football Union Sevens Series.

Apart from India (host nation) and Pakistan, top ranked Asian team - Malaysia is also participating in the tournament. Other countries to participate in this event are Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Brunei, Iran and Uzbekistan. The event, to be played under the supervision of Ms. Beth Coatler, International Rugby Board Tournaments Manager and CWG Delhi 2010 technical delegate, is expected to increase awareness of this high-energy sport within India. The Indian Rugby Football Union is extremely pleased upon hosting the premiere championship.

Nearly 100 men and women volunteers who have travelled great distances across India, would also help in the smooth running of the event. The tournament will see 24 matches being played in two days. The duration of a single match is of 14 minutes and is played in two halves of 7 minutes each. Rugby Sevens, also known as seven-a-side, is the shorter variant of the Rugby Union, which consists of seven players a side instead of the usual 15. The matches are also of shorter duration and the sport is very popular in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas especially in the South Pacific. Sevens, considered to be one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, was included in 2009 as an Olympic Sport and is expected to debut in the 2016 summer Olympics.

Queens Baton relay to showcase importance of CW games in UP

The Queens Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, will showcase the importance and popularity of the Games in nine cities of Uttar Pradesh
during its two phase of the relay in the state.

The organising Committee of the Games have also urged the UP government to make arrangement for the publicity and popularity of the relay by seeking participation of eminent personalities and sportsperson.

The relay will enter UP from Bareilly on July 8 and after stopping at Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Allahabad and Varanasi it will enter Gaya in Bihar on July 13. In the second phase, it will enter Lalitpur in Bundelkhand on September 20 and after visiting Jhansi and Agra on September 21 it will end in New Delhi on September 30.

The Taj city of Agra would be the focal point for the foreign tourists coming to New Delhi for the Games as more than one lakh foreigners could reach there during the fortnight long Games from October 3 to 14.

Every effort will be made to ensure a successful Games: President

President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has reinterred India’s commitment to successful conduct of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

Addressing Parliament on the inaugural day of the budget session President said, “The country is hosting the prestigious 19th Commonwealth Games in October, 2010. Preparations for the event are at an advanced stage. Every effort will be made to ensure a befitting and successful conduct of the Games”.

The President said that facilities, like modernisation of Indira Gandhi International Airport, required for the Games, will be ready in time. “The expansion and modernisation of airports, especially the four metro airports, are progressing well. The Delhi airport project would be fully operational by July, 2010, well in time for the Commonwealth Games.”

The Games is making positive changes across Delhi and the country’s TV broadcasting will also undergo revolutionary changes. “The Commonwealth Games 2010 will be covered in High Definition format by Doordarshan for the first time,” President said.

TV networks battle for viewers in 2010

PUT on your flak jacket and take cover. The 2010 TV war is set to be the fiercest in history with more channels battling for your attention than ever before.

If viewers aren't captivated by the shows on Seven, Nine and Ten, you can bet they will be switching to 7Two and GO! Then there is Foxtel as well as the three ABC channels, two SBS channels and Ten's ONE.

Should Channel 10 stick with the original MasterChef and do away with the spin-offs? Have your say in our Poll Box below.

That will put a heck of a lot of pressure on TV programmers to come up with the goods - shows that will stop people channel surfing.

To win viewers, they are set to launch more than 30 new series and telemovies as well as screen three of the world's biggest sporting events -- the Winter Olympics (Nine and Foxtel), FIFA World Cup soccer (SBS and Foxtel) and the XIXth Commonwealth Games (Ten and Foxtel). Here's a taste of what's to come and anticipates the hits of 2010.

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.

Our next Libby at just 14

IN the week that Libby Trickett announced her retirement, the girl who may eventually replace her in the national team, Yolane Kukla, 14, declared her intent at the Queensland championships.

Kukla stepped into the frame for Commonwealth Games selection next year by smashing the national 14 years' age record in the 100m freestyle, becoming the youngest Australian woman to break 55 seconds.

Her time of 54.99sec would have earned her fourth place, and a spot on the national team, at this year's world titles selection trials.

"I think she is capable of making the (Commonwealth Games) team, and whether that's as a relay or an individual swimmer will depend on how she handles the occasion," Kukla's coach Michael Palfery said yesterday.

"Libby's departure opens up the door for the younger kids coming through, and we are going to have a crack at it.

"I think (Kukla) can get faster by the end of the season."

If Kukla's timing is this impeccable for the rest of her career, she will have every chance of rising to the peak of the sport.

Already, the comparisons with Trickett are unavoidable.

Like the triple Olympic gold medallist, Kukla hails from Brisbane and is a compact athletic type with a strong power-to-weight ratio, courtesy of a background as an elite gymnast.

She also excels in the same events -- 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly -- showing the kind of sprint versatility that is invaluable to the national team.

This week she has also demonstrated an ability to compete confidently in open company.

She finished second behind Trickett's immediate successor, Olympic medallist Cate Campbell, 17, in the 50m freestyle in Brisbane, clocking a personal best time of 25.17sec.

Among those in her wake were seasoned international competitors, triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sophie Edington and world 50m butterfly champion Marieke Guehrer.

"She's raced tough this week, she's doing age and open events at this meet and she's stepped up more in the open events," Palfery said.

Kukla's freestyle times this week would have been good enough to reach both Olympic finals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the last Games before the rise of the performance-enhancing polyurethane bodysuits which will be banned next year.

And tellingly, Kukla swam in a suit that was as close as she could find to be compliant with the new rules.

If she does qualify for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, she will join a small but celebrated club of Australians to break into the national team at 14.

The most recent were Leisel Jones (2000) and Ian Thorpe (1997).

Two other Queenslanders, Tessa Wallace and Jayden Hadler, both 16, also emerged as Games prospects this week.

Wallace finished second to Jones in the 200m breaststroke in 2min 26.03sec, while Hadler broke Andrew Lauterstein's national age record in the 100m butterfly, clocking 53.78sec.

Meanwhile, Guehrer, Australia's most-travelled international competitor, will make one last excursion this year, to contest the Salnikov Cup in St Petersburg this weekend.

At the last meet of the year, Guehrer plans to make one last attempt on the world short-course record in the 100m backstroke, before polyurethane suits are banned.

l Triple Olympic gold medallist Petria Thomas will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida, next May.

Thomas, who won eight Olympic medals during her career, one short of Thorpe's Australian record tally, will be one of 10 greats added to the hall. Others include Germany's Franziska van Almsick and US distance champion Brooke Bennett.

Laws protecting workers flouted at CWG sites

A labour union claimed on Wednesday that provisions of law protecting construction workers were being 'blatantly' flouted by the authorites at Commonwealth Games construction sites and demanded the government to take necessary steps in this regard.

"Government and private enterprises are blatantly flouting the laws, rules and regulations that needed to be adhered to for the benefit of labourers working on various projects of Commonwealth Games 2010," Bhartiya Labour Union alleged.

The labour body also staged a demonstration in protest against the 'atrocities against labourers' in New Delhi

The union alleged: The Building and other Construction Workers Act, which has provisions for social security to workers in the construction industry and their families, clean drinking water facility on construction sites, creches at the sites with over 50 female workers, first-aid facilities, safety regulations and pension plans, is not being followed.

Saying that more than 3,00,000 labourers were engaged in the Commonwealth Games construction sites, Bhartiya Labour Union general secretary A Khan alleged, 'these labourers are working in dangerous conditions with not even the minimum wages and without job security in absence of basic living amenities such as maternity and child care.'

"The labourers working for the project are nowhere near as being treated as humans...In this time of inflation, the wages of labourers are a shocking Rs 80-90 per day," he alleged and demanded the government to increase their wages.

Delhi toes Beijing line, eco-friendly buses to ferry Games athletes

Taking inspiration from the Beijing Olympics held last year, the Delhi government, too, is keen to display its commitment towards the conservation of environment to the world. It plans to introduce ‘hybrid’ electric buses during the Commonwealth Games to be held in October 2010.

These hybrid buses will run on CNG and electric energy, and the government plans to station them at all 11 Games venues to transport athletes and spectators. It may also possibly give joyrides to inquisitive visitors.

While Delhi already has a huge base for a CNG-propelled public transport system and it has recently introduced subsidies on the cost of battery-operated cars and two-wheelers, Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said these hybrid buses would be in addition to the eco-friendly transportation structure to be provided during the Games.

“Hybrid buses were a part of the system during Beijing Olympics. Delhi, too, has a green city agenda and the event (Commonwealth Games) could be used to extend our commitment to the cause,” he said.

With the Capital expecting to have at least 2,500 low-floor and semi-floor buses by October 2010, Mehta said this would be a part of the city’s green bus agenda.

He added that while the government was still contemplating on the idea, if it worked, the buses could also be made to operate on a particular route.

In a bid to ensure zero-emission transportation during the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese government had about 500 eco-friendly vehicles running on alternative fuels. These included 53 electric buses, 25 hybrid buses, 75 hybrid taxis, 20 fuel-cell cars and more than 320 other electric vehicles.

The hybrid electric vehicle
A hybrid electric vehicle has two sources of power. While one converts fuel (CNG in this case) into propelling energy, the other, usually an electric motor powered by an advanced storage device, lowers the demand on the first source of energy. The arrangement usually allows one or both simultaneously, depending on the situation. While electric energy can be used alone to fuel the vehicle when on a plain terrain for a given period, the two power sources can be used together when negotiating tough turns and slants.

One New Metro Line Scheduled to open every month till 2010 CWG

The opening of the NOIDA line marks the beginning of Phase II of Metro getting operational. Now, a new Metro line will open almost every month till the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The next section to open for public will be the 6.17-km Yamuna Bank to Anand Vihar line, which has a deadline for next month. After its commissioning, alternate trains from Yamuna Bank will go to NOIDA and Anand Vihar respectively. Like the NOIDA line, this is also anelevated line which runs along Vikas Marg and ends at the Delhi-UP border at Anand Vihar. The line will be further extended by 2.6km to Vaishali in Ghaziabad by September 2010.

The elevated portion of the Gurgaon line will open next in January 2010. A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson explained that only the stretch between Qutab Minar and Gurgaon (14.4 km) will open first as its construction will take less time as compared to the rest of the line , Central Secretariat to Qutab Minar, which is underground. ‘‘It was felt that by opening the Qutab Minar to Gurgaon stretch, residents of the sub-city will be able to come to the Capital and will also get a mode of commuting within Gurgaon where connectivity is very poor,’’ said a spokesperson. The remaining part of the line, spanning 12.53 km, will open in June 2010.

After these, the 15.15km-long Inderlok to Mundka stretch and Kirti Nagar to Ashok Park stretch, both of which will connect to the existing Line 3, will open in March.

In June 2010, the 4.91km stretch on the Badarpur line from Sarita Vihar to Badarpur will be commissioned. The rest of the Badarpur line (15.25 km) connecting Sarita Vihar to Central Secretariat will open in September 2010.

The Airport Express Link, which is the only Delhi Metro line to be built on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, will open in two parts, the 19.2 km stretch from New Delhi Railway Station to IGI Airport in August 2010 and then a 3.5km extension till Dwarka sector 21 in September 2010.

The existing Line 3 will also be extended till Dwarka Sector 21 (by 2.76km) to integrate the normal Metro with the fast track line.

Punjab-trained private guards for CWG

Trained guards from Punjab will help private security agencies to secure the venues of the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) to be held in New Delhi October next year.

With the CWG less than one year away, 33 managing directors and security experts from national and international security agencies Friday came to the Punjab Security Training Institute (PSTI) of Punjab police at Jahankhelan, 150 km from Chandigarh, to witness the passing out parade of a new batch of trained personnel here.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who took salute from the 312 new passing out recruits here Friday, said that a new batch of trained female security guards would also be started soon.

Badal said that with security agencies facing shortage of quality trained security guards, the Jahankhelan institute is the only one in the country providing training to the security guards at par with Punjab police commandos.

'Each passing out candidate here is carrying a minimum four offer letters from security agencies,' he added.

'In the post 26/11 scenario, the importance of employing skilled and weapon-trained security guards has been understood by every employer. With state police having limited resources, unable to handle the security of every building, the security agencies' task to scout for trained security guards becoming increasingly tiring,' Badal noted.

The Punjab government had recently announced that it will train nearly 100,000 youth in security operations to fulfil the growing demand for workforce from the private security sector - both in India and other countries.

The PSTI, set up with an investment of just Rs.10 crore and managed by Punjab police officials, will raise its training capacity from 10,000 in 2010 to 15,000 in 2011.

Badal said that over 500,000 trained security personnel were required by agencies in India and a similar number in other countries.

Stressing the need for focusing on training our youths as security guards for other countries, he said that the youth would be made proficient in English, Arabic, Spanish and French besides providing them security training to make them employable in other countries.

The new recruits gave a practical demonstration of access control, frisking, anti-sabotage checking, cordoning off and sealing, evacuation, surveillance, chasing, over-powering and immobilisation of criminals and suspects, identification of IEDs, explosive and narcotic material, body search, premises and area search, defensive driving, first aid and other tasks.

Have to work overtime to finish Games related projects: Dikshit

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Friday reviewed the progress of several Commonwealth Games (CWG) related projects and stated that her government would 'have to work overtime to honour deadlines'.

The meeting was to review the progress of various projects of the Public Works Department (PWD) - Barapula elevated road, Ring Road bypass, Ghazipur grade separator and Uttar Pradesh link road - that are related to the Games, scheduled less than a year away.

'There is hardly any time left, we all will have to work overtime to honour deadlines. It will be in the fitness of things if these projects are completed by March-2010,' Dikshit stated.

The chief minister underlined the importance of quality construction. PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, senior government officials and representatives of various constructions companies were present at the meeting.

'It was decided that hindrances, if any will be resolved at the highest level. The contractors have been told to submit a detailed schedule of key indicators. Further they have been asked to submit daily progress reports,' said an official statement.

'The concerned departments are also being requested to issue necessary clearances on the same day the request is received in their offices,' the statement added.

The Barapula elevated road will connect Sarai Kale Khan to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and provide an uninterrupted route up to main venues of the Games.

Support Commonwealth Games(CWG 2010) projects, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tells neighbouring states

Racing against time to complete projects linked to the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today asked the neighbouring states not to create legal and other hurdles to the efforts.

Addressing the 31st meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) here, she sought cooperation from all the member states of the board to make the event a great success.

"We need support of all the adjoing states to put in place the best infrastructure for the event," Dikshit said.

The meeting also discussed extension of metro trains to NCR towns and it was decided to constitute a committee for the purpose, including extending the tracks up to Faridabad and Bahadurgarh in Haryana.

Dikshit also requested the NCRPB to provide funds of Rs 222 crore for construction and modernisation of ISBTs at Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan.

Common ticketing system for metro and buses from Nov 24

From Nov 24 you will just need a ‘common ticket’ to travel by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and the Delhi Metro, state Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said here Thursday.

“The system trials will start on Nov 24,” said Lovely at the inauguration of Delhi Metro’s Noida section here.

The minister said that the ‘card’ which would be used for the common ticketing system is still being put into place.

The demand for such a ‘common ticket’ was being made for a long time as it would modernise and integrate the city’s transport system.

A few months ago, the government had announced that it would put into place the common ticketing system before the Commonwealth Games 2010.

“The system would be of great help during the Games,” said a transport department official.

Commonwealth Games to showcase India: Selja

Commonwealth Games 2010 has given an opportunity to showcase India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said Thursday.

‘Commonwealth Games have given an opportunity for showcasing India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination. It is expected that a large number of tourists would visit the country next year bringing back the buoyancy in the sector,’ she said, addressing a summit on ‘Tourism: Tackling the Global Crisis’ in London.

Around 80 tourism ministers from across the world are addressing the summit, organised by the United Nations’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – a specialised agency of the United Nations and the leading international organisation in the field of tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.

Selja said her ministry has been working towards developing adequate accommodation, sprucing up the tourism infrastructure and enhancing the quality of hospitality related services to make the visit a truly pleasurable and enriching experience for visitors during and after CWG-2010.

The goodwill generated through the successful organisation of this mega-sporting event would enable a sustainable growth of tourism sector, the minister said.

The Commonwealth Games, scheduled from Oct 3 to 14 next year, are expected to attract over 100,000 visitors to India.

Selja also pointed out how the global economic slowdown had a ‘cascading effect on the tourism sector and has adversely affected tourism world over’.

The tourism minister said India has taken several initiatives to meet the challenges posed by the global meltdown challenges.

India has introduced ‘Visit India Year – 2009′ in close partnership with airlines, hotels and tour operators to attract visitors to India from different countries for a repeat visit.

She said they have also launched advertising campaigns and roadshows in key markets.

‘India is also making conscious efforts to develop emerging short and medium haul markets,’ she added.

The minister said they have launched ‘heliport tourism’ to connect remote areas that are not accessible and to promote them through helicopter rides, as well as ‘wellness tourism’ and ‘caravan tourism’.

Caravan tourism, which is a very popular concept abroad, will also be popularised in India and involves the use of a specially-equipped vehicle deployed on a tourist circuit and connecting it by road.

Global Television Wins Bid For 2010 Commonwealth Games International Broadcast Centre

Global Television has won a world wide tender to design, install and operate the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

This will be the first time in Commonwealth Games history that the event has been broadcast in High Definition digital, also marking a critical milestone for Indian television.

Australia’s leading and most experienced services provider to the television industry, Global was selected from a tough international field after an intensive three-month evaluation period.

Global delivered the IBC technical build for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and has brought the same team together for Delhi 2010. Global will also work with an on-the-ground Indian partner, Shaf Broadcast.

The IBC is the hub for all Commonwealth Games broadcasting activity, handling incoming television pictures and sound from the host broadcaster, distributing that footage to international rights holders and managing rights holders’ outgoing transmissions.

Global’s track record in providing complex technical broadcast requirements for major international events is well established. In addition to the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Global Television has delivered IBC requirements for the 2007 FINA World Championships (swimming), World Youth Day in 2008 and the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

Global Television CEO Kerri Thompson said: "The 2010 Commonwealth Games IBC tender is among the most prized on the international broadcasting event calendar.

"As the nucleus of broadcast activity for the competition, the IBC transmits literally thousands of hours of sporting drama, achievement and news to viewers around the world.

"Away from the competition venues, perceptions of the Games’ success will hinge on the quality and timeliness of material beamed home.

"In securing this contract, Global Television is especially proud to showcase the Australian broadcast industry’s capabilities and demonstrate the High Definition digital expertise for which Australia is renowned."

The Delhi Commonwealth Games IBC will house studio and reporting facilities for broadcasters and journalists from around the world. Occupying 8,000 square meters, up to 1,500 broadcast professionals will be based at the IBC.

Global Television begins work on the contract immediately, with a technical team en route to Delhi for briefings this week and to attend the first World Broadcasters Meeting for rights holders.

The XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 will be held from 3rd–14th October next year. Competition will feature 17 sports, with around 8,500 athletes and officials from 71 Commonwealth Games Federation member countries expected to attend.